A/N: The words that Gunnar's Father says about America, is not what the authors think about America.
Chapter 25—Meeting Gunnar's Father
November 9th, 1999
By the time I got to the hospital the next afternoon, I found that Gunnar's ICU room was empty. Not only was it empty it was cleaned too, with a bed that had fresh sheets in the room.
"Oh no," I said.
"Son, can I help you?" asked a nurse from the desk.
I turned and said, "I am looking for my roommate, Gunnar Stahl."
"Oh, Gunnar was moved upstairs to floor 5 late this morning," the nurse said.
"Ok, thanks do you know which room?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's 517," the nurse said.
"Thanks," I said. I then walked to the elevator to go up to floor five, I was too exhausted to take the stairs from the 5 am practice we had again this morning, plus walking all over campus and skating the 2.5 miles to get to the hospital. I knocked on the door to Gunnar's room.
"Vah, come on in," Gunnar said.
"Hey," I said and then I kissed him.
"Hi," Gunnar said.
"What happened, it looks like your locker imploded on the table?" I asked.
"Tell me about it.' Gunnar said as his eyes rolled, 'vhe teachers still expect me to keep up with vhe classroom expectations. Dean Buckley vas just here, dropping all of my homework off. I have to have all of this done, upon my return to school. It sucks. "
"Why does it suck?" I asked.
"Vecause my teachers in Ísland vere not this strict," Gunnar said.
I could not sympathize with Gunnar. All of my life, my teachers were always strict. Well with the expectation of my teacher Ms. Gables at Lakeshore and Ms. MacKay, I mean Mom. At least mom had a stable head on her shoulders.
"Adam, vou okay?" Gunnar asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Lakeshore," I said.
"Oh," Gunnar said.
"What's the oh for?" I asked.
"Nothing," Gunnar said.
"I was thinking, what if we flew out there during spring break to go and visit them?" I asked.
"Vah, I guess, vut you don't have vour driver's license, vet," Gunnar said.
Gunnar had me there, both mom and dad had been promising to take me down to the courthouse to get my license, and well that had not happened yet. Dad had been so busy getting everything he needed to get done for his readmittance to practice law in Minnesota plus everything that has been going down with the team. Mom had been busy as well with school and helping grandma get ready for her move.
"Adam?" Gunnar asked.
"Yeah, I am here," I said as I took his left hand and held it. Pausing every so often to kiss that hand. I was in the middle of a kiss when there was another knock at the door.
"Vah, come in," Gunnar said.
In walked a middle-aged man, about Gunnar's height with his build, with brown eyes and gray locks that looked like there was a hint of brown in the middle of the medium business length hair, "GUNNAR?" the man said.
"Faðir! Hvað ertu að gera hér? (Father! What are you doing here?)" Gunnar said and quickly let go of my hand. I had never felt so confused in all of my life.
"ÉG ER BÚINN AÐ SJÁ ÞIG, SONUR. ÞAÐ ER ÞAÐ SEM ÉG ER AÐ GERA HÉR. ÉG FÉKK SÍMTAL UM ÞIG, FRÁ ATÓM. MÉR OG MÓÐUR ÞINNI VAR UMHUGAÐ. EN ÞÚ VEIST MÓÐUR ÞÍNA AÐ HÚN MUN ALDREI KOMAST Í FLUGVÉL. (I'VE COME TO SEE YOU, SON. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE. I GOT A CALL FROM YOU, FROM ATOM. ME AND YOUR MOTHER WERE CONCERNED. BUT YOU KNOW YOUR MOTHER WILL NEVER GET ON A PLANE.)" Gunnar's father said.
"Atóm? Meinarðu ekki Adam? (Atom? Don't you mean Adam?)" Gunnar asked.
"JÁ, ÞAÐ ER ÞAÐ, ADAM. ÉG HLJÓP HINGAÐ EINS FLJÓTT OG ÉG GAT. ÞVÍ MIÐUR SEINKAÐI FLUGVÉLINNI MINNI BÆÐI Í NEW YORK OG CHARLOTTE. (YES, THAT'S IT, ADAM. I RUSHED HERE AS SOON AS I COULD. UNFORTUNATELY, MY PLANE WAS DELAYED AT BOTH NEW YORK AND CHARLOTTE.)" Gunnar's father said.
"Uh, English please?" I said.
"I sorry Adam. Adam, vhis is my dad Stahl Friedrichsson. Father vhis is my roommate, Adam Bombay," Gunnar said.
"Oh,' I said as I started to get up. I then held my hand out to shake his, 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Gunnar has told me so much about you."
"YES, I AM SURE,' Gunnar's father said. I could not believe that they sounded so much alike. 'ÉG VIL RÆÐA VIÐ ÞIG Í EINRÚMI GUNNARI. UM EDEN HALL ACADEMY. (I WANT TO TALK TO YOU IN PRIVATE GUNNAR. ABOUT EDEN HALL ACADEMY.)"
"Vhat about Eden Hall?" Gunnar said.
"GUNNAR IT'S BEST THAT WE TALK IN PRIVATE," Gunnar's father said.
"No, Vhat ever vou have to say to me, vou can say in front of Adam," Gunnar said.
"GUNNAR, IT'S BEST THAT WE TALK IN PRIVATE," Gunnar's father said.
"You know what I need to be going anyway. I am kind of tired, I will see you tomorrow.' Then I mouthed to Gunnar, 'love you," I said.
"Ok Adam, see vou tomorrow. Get some sleep," Gunnar said.
I left Gunnar's room more confused than ever before; Gunnar didn't return my I love you back. So, I lied, I wasn't that tired, but it kind of sounded urgent, so I bladed over to Grandma's house.
"Adam? This is a surprise, what are you doing here," Grandma said.
"Grandma, can I talk to you?" I asked.
"Of course, sweetheart,' Grandma said as she tried to smooth my hair down from my helmet, 'don't mind the boxes, your brother and I got a lot done on his day off from school."
I made my way into Grandma's house. I could not believe the amount of stuff that was sitting in the living room and the dining room. It was literally a maze of boxes.
"Wow Grandma, that's a lot of stuff," I said.
"Yes, I know. We were going through the basement today. I swear the trash collector has a heart attack every time he comes to pick up the garbage," Grandma said.
"So, any news on when you will be moving?" I asked.
"Yes, I just heard from them today, looks like I will be moving two weeks before Christmas," Grandma said.
"What? Wow that's great?" I said.
"I know. I still can count on your help, right?" Grandma asked.
"I don't know Grandma, that's the week before finals. We have a couple of big away games on either end of that week and Virginia is 3 hours away by bus," I said.
"I know that Adam. Which is why I am not coming up to watch you take on Virginia. That and I don't want to drive home in the dark," Grandma said.
"I see," I said with my head hanging.
"What's wrong?" Grandma said.
"Nothing," I said.
"No that is not nothing, you need to tell me Adam Johnathan Bombay," Grandma said.
"Well, I was hoping that you would help me finish my driver's licensing stuff, so I can get my license," I said.
"Oh, What about Michele and Gordon?" Grandma asked.
"They are both too busy. And too be honest with them I can't blame them," I said.
"I know it has been crazy this fall, I mean the whole thing with Bella and Charlie, Gordon getting ready to readmit for the bar in February. Michele's pregnancy. Everything that has been going on with school, my move and now Gunnar," Grandma said.
"Yeah," I said.
"How much more do you have to do, to get your license?" Grandma asked.
"Like 5 more hours of driving instruction, about 3 of hours have to be at night," I said.
"Do you have your permit?" Grandma asked.
"Yes," I said.
"And your paperwork?" Grandma asked.
"Well, no, that's at the house," I said.
"Hmm, I will tell you what. You help me take a few loads to the Goodwill and I will teach you to drive," Grandma said.
"Really Grandma?" I asked.
"Yes," Grandma said.
"Thanks Grandma," I said as I hugged her. I helped Grandma load up her boxes, we dropped the load off at the Goodwill then we stopped and got my paperwork at the house, as well. We did a couple of more trips to the Goodwill and then I dropped her off at the house and bladed back up to school. Glad that we finished 3 more hours, including an hour of driving in the twilight. Two hours driving in the dark. Grandma was going to pick me up after school tomorrow and we were going to finish my lesson's up. With any luck I would have my driver's license by Friday afternoon.
November 12th, 1999
5:45 pm
I walked into Gunnar's room at the hospital, "Hey," I said.
"Adam, Hi. I missed you," Gunnar said.
"I missed you too. Where's your father?" I asked.
"I don't vnow. Oh, I am getting released from the vospital vomorrow, morning," Gunnar said.
"Oh good, and then what?" I asked.
"Uh a veek at home and then I vill be back at school after that," Gunnar said.
"What about hockey?" I asked.
"I don't vnow," Gunnar said.
"Oh," I said disappointed.
"So how was your appointment with Dr. Montgomery today?" Gunnar asked.
"I would not know, I didn't go," I said.
"And vhy not?" Gunnar said as he crossed his arms.
"Because' I said as I fished out my wallet out of my back pants pocket, 'I had to go to the courthouse."
"Vhy?" Gunnar said with his arms still crossed.
"I had to get this," I said as I showed him my brand new less than hour old driver's license.
"Vou got it?" Gunnar said.
"Yeah, I did," I said.
"How? I vhought Michele and Coach vere busy?" Gunnar asked.
"Yeah, but Grandma was willing to help me finish, and luckily we ran into dad down at the courthouse, so he was able to attest that I had finished my training, which was lucky," I said.
"I see," Gunnar said quietly.
"What's wrong Gunnar?" I asked.
"It's nothing Adam," Gunnar said.
"Gunnar please don't lie to me, what did your dad want to talk to you about the other day?" I asked.
"I can't tell vou," Gunnar said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Vecause, I don't even vant to vhink it vill come true," Gunnar said.
"Gunnar, please tell me. Whatever it is, we will work it out together," I said as I held his hand.
"My father vant me to leave Eden Hall," Gunnar said.
"WHAT?" I screamed.
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