Kaarna has just decided that she will not get out of the bed until November is over, when she notices an email and gets all nervous.
- The balls of Jesus! Can this be true…? Keeeeeeeeeeen!!!!!!
Ken is delighted:
- Excellent! A real illustration work request! See, putting the exhibition together was worth all the effort after all!
- What do I do now?
- You reply and thank them for the request for quote and tell them your pricing.
- Too scary! What if they don’t want me after they hear my prices? I don’t know how much to ask!!!!
- We’ll figure that out together! This is great.
Kaarna drags Mari’s new futon from the delivery truck and huffs:
- So heavy! You have to help me with the stairs to the loft!
- I’m sorry honey! I really can’t. My wrist has been super bad lately. I can bring the sheets though.
Kaarna is exhausted when the futon is finally up there on the bed.
Mari puts on
the bedding and complains about the pain in her wrist.
- What’s with the wrist then? Kaarna asks.
Mari shows her hand to Kaarna and says:
- It’s worse than ever. Look, it even comes off completely these days.
- Yikes! You need to see Dr. Ritva right now!
-
I’m already on the hand transplant queue, but they haven’t found a
donor. I feel miserable… I don’t know how to handle this situation any
longer.
- Handle! Ha!
Kaarna would like to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere in Mari’s sleeping loft, but Mari has other plans:
- I have to go to Mocambo. Taylor has some big announcement for the whole family.
- What do you think it’s about?
- Whatever it is, she’d better not be pregnant again.
- Can I come?
- Of course. It might be entertaining.
Taylor welcomes the girls with open arms:
- Drinks are on the house, come in and take a seat!
Kaarna
chooses hot mint chocolate with whipped cream and sits on a bar stool.
The alcohol warms nicely on a crappy November day like this.
Geordie and Filia are already there - and Pappos Elvis of course.
When Taylor asks what’s happened to Mari’s hand, Mari tells that the cat ate it. Taylor says:
-
I’ve seen Ritva on the news, apparently she does body transplant
surgery! You can take Filia’s hand, since she’s got the same chubby body
type as you!
Filia starts to scream:
- You stupid cunt! What are you talking about?!
- What do you need a hand for, you old witch! You’re already on your way to the grave!
- This starts promising, Kaarna thinks and sips her drink, which is excellent by the way.
- Well! Enough of you guys! Now let’s get to our big announcement, Taylor says and takes a place beside Geordie.
- Please don’t say you’re pregnant, Mari whispers.
- Haha! No! Geordie is shooting blanks and my tubes are chopped in a million pieces! But!!! Here is comes! We are now business partners! Geordie and I bought Mocambo! We will make this place the most popular bar in town! Live music and theme nights!!!!
- Throwing away Pappos Elvis’ heritage, Filia says horrified.
- Dear Mama, Pappos Elvis has left nothing to us. Taylor and I took a loan for this, Geordie says gently. But Filia is devastated and says in Greek:
- That woman is going to destroy you.
Geordie adds:
- We have also been thinking about monthly mud wrestling events! Taylor is a pro, of course, but Kaarna, I would love to see you on the ring with her. For old times’ sake! What do you say? You two would be amazing together! And remember, my hands are always at your service…
Mari starts to look tense and Kaarna decides that this is a perfect time to leave. She takes Mari’s only hand and says:
- Let’s go home. Now.
The sky dropped a whole lot of snow during one night and Ken starts to shovel.
After making a path to the sauna, he sits down and sighs:
- I’m so fed up with this!!!! And it’s only the first time. Usually I manage well until February before I get fed up.
Kaarna is extremely pleased with the illustration job she got. The topics are really inspiring, and she can combine her cute style with tough subjects like war, divorce and depression.
When Ken comes home from work, he kicks off his boots and melts down on the floor.
He just heard that the Post is firing all the part time workers and reducing the working hours of the full timers.
- Now what… I’m fed up with sewing and I’m not welcome to the Post anymore.
Kaarna says:
- You can be responsible of sending out all the calendars, so I can concentrate on drawing. Oh, and look, we got a Christmas card from Ellie today.
- Christmas. I have trouble to give it any thought this year, Ken mumbles.