Trafika Europe 1 - Northern Idyll

Tata has gone to the barber’s, says Mama, because Albert from Australia is coming today. She’s combing my hair. She has dressed me in a pink dress with a bow, the one I wore for my birthday, once in the past. I know that that was then. Ivan was still here and said to me, Happy Birthday, Ballerina, and he gave me a bunch of flowers. I looked down at him because he was little and his ears stuck out. Mama’s hair is nicely combed, too, and she’s wearing her party dress with the nice, starched collar. Karlo went to Venice airport with his car that isn’t his. Mama said that Karlo is going to pick up Albert at the airport, when I stood at the window and everything was blue, even the yard was blue as I watched Karlo leave. They’ll be here any moment now, says Mama, looking through the window at the yard. I’m standing by the door, looking at her. She’s looking through the window, walking up and down, up and down. Then she says: Josipina is here …

I see her. She’s crossing the yard, coming into the hall, then the kitchen.

Srečko is coming, too, says Mama to Josipina.

Good, says Josipina, taking her shoes off. She say’s they’re too tight because they’re new. I look at her. She’s sitting at the table, rubbing her toes.

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