CHAPTER FOUR: THE VALUE OF A LIFE

"You just jumped in?" Nick asked amazed at the risk he had been willing to take. "I mean, you weren't afraid? Didn't you fear for your life?"Nick knew something about taking risks, he had done it many times himself, and he had seen Greg do the same. But that was in the line of duty, with back up in sight and after hours and years of training. He still couldn't think about how close Greg had been to losing his life when doing this, and sometimes, many times, he wanted to talk to Greg about changing their occupations. But then, he only had to take one look at the man he loves, to see the strength, the honesty and the will to solve crimes. This is the man he loves, and deep down, he knows that his own passion for his job is a huge part of what Greg loves about him as well. They might be scared for each other and themselves, but they won't be whole without doing what they do. This is who they are.Honestly, he didn't know how he would have reacted had he been in Grandpa Hojem's situation, he could only hope he would have had the same guts. Seeing this man, he started to realize where Greg had inherited his courage.

He had often admired Greg for his bravery. Greg would always stand up for what he believed in, and he would always be true to who he was, well almost.

He didn't exactly act brave when he conveniently forgot to tell his mom he had transferred from the lab to the field. But after getting to know Greg better than anyone, and also knowing Lisbet now, Nick could see why Greg had done that.

Greg had always seemed fearless to Nick. The first time he saw him he was young, and yet he was running the show in the DNA lab. It's not many people that would have acted with so much confidence in a hectic forensic lab as Greg did at that age, but he did it! He knew he was good. He believed in himself, and he knew that he deserved the confirmation he was asking for.

More of his bravery was displayed when he went straight back to work after the lab blew up. His hands were shaking, as were his nerves, but he did it. He went right back in and proved to himself, and the rest of them, that he could do it. Nick had been so proud of him, but he hadn't said anything. They were just friends back then.

When he was beaten up though, after saving an innocent man from being killed, Nick had told him how proud he was. They'd become more than friends by then, and it was his boyfriend he had visited at the hospital, and it was his boyfriend's hand he had held when Greg had called home and finally told his mother about the transfer to the field. It was at his boyfriend's side he had sat when Greg's mother had visited him, frantic about seeing her son bruised in a hospital bed. He had seen the same courage in Greg's eyes when he finally stood up to his mother and told her she had to stop protecting him.

Now, Nick saw happiness in his boyfriend's eyes when he showed interest in his grandfather's history.

Grandpa nodded at this outburst and confirmed his thoughts. "I must say, it wasn't easy making that decision. I didn't hesitate, but I did it with a heavy heart. If it was concerning only me, I wouldn't have given it another thought, but it wasn't. I was obligated to my family as they were dependent on me for support. Let me explain."

Father had no restrictions. He stood on his two feet even with his bad hip helping mother in the store to enable me to take the time off that I needed. If there was one thing I was sure off, it was my parents' willingness to do their part in keeping this land free.

The Germans hadn't anticipated meeting such a unified people. During the recent years, the Norwegian people had put behind them a handful of deep and long lasting conflicts. The people had agreed upon democratic values and parliamentary system. There were no members in the parliament who believed in the revolution or the proletarian dictatorship.

At the same time, a separation between the people had been washed away. The two large sports unions were about to unite, and for the first time in history, both the bourgeois and socialistic branches would play the same games.

Labor laws were enacted to give the workers 8 hour days and even statutory vacation time. Salaries had improved and workers had time to spend their money..

There hadn't been any "roaring of the twenties" in Norway, but now the lifestyle from the continent had started to leak into Norwegian households. Tooth paste, cigarettes, chocolate and soda became common merchandise in everyone's homes. We listened to Jazz and Swing and drove cars from General Motors. Even Norwegian fabrics were better and brands like Solo, Kvikk lunch and Globoid were launched on the market.

The gap between poor and rich was getting smaller.

So powerful was this unification that even the old battle of what kind of Norwegian we should write (should we change the Danish we had been using into the Norwegian language or should we make a new language based on the Norwegian dialects that we spoke) was buried for a while.

The Norwegian people were proud of being Norwegian, proud of being independent and not willing to settle under a foreign rule after only 35 years of sovereignty.

Clark Gable and Audrey Hepburn were smiling at people from the posters outside the cinemas and the people were smiling at each other. With a paperclip in their button hole or a red top hat on their head, they made a stand that they were Norwegian and intended to stay that way.

My father was no less a Norwegian than any, and he did not argue about me joining the forces. My parents could take care of themselves, but then there was Liv; my little sister Liv.

My parents weren't young anymore, and Liv needed some special attention and care, and she would need it for a long time. She was ten years old now, and a big girl. She could count and write, and she drew the most delightful drawings.

Her favorite subject to draw would be Ms. Lauritzen, the young lady living across the hallway from us. She lived in a small one room apartment, and we shared the bathroom at the end of the hallway. She had come to the city from the country to work for a family and experience the life in the city. The family she worked for had lost their source of income, just as we had, when the imports stopped arriving from the Continent.

Ms. Lauritzen was living hand to mouth by working in the fruit stands on Youngstorget Square. She would work 8 hours a day selling whatever fruits and vegetables could be found. In the summer she would sell strawberries and apples, and in the autumn, berries and mushrooms found in the woods. Everything edible was eaten and new recipes were created to make use of what we had.

She would always make sure to bring an apple home for Liv, and Liv would always stand in the door waiting eagerly for Ms Lauritzen to return. Liv was a special little girl, a little too special some would say.

You see, when she was born, the doctors told mother that her daughter was not as she should be. Halfwit they called her.

Her beauty was unquestionable, but her face appeared different than the next baby. Her face was flatter some how. Even the bridge of the nose was flat. Her mouth was small, and her tongue stuck out. It looked large even though it was so tiny. Her rounded cheeks were chubby and I remember wanting to touch them to feel if they were pure silk. I was only eight at the time, and it didn't occur to me that wanting to cuddle the baby was a little too girlish for a boy. Her eyes were what told me that she was extra special though. They slanted upwards slightly and they smiled at me. I know they say that newborn babies don't smile, but I swear she did. I think she knew she had me wrapped around her little finger, even from the very first breath.

"Send her away," they said, "she has to be put in an institution."

I had never seen my mother this stern before. She was a strict woman, no doubt about it, but this time it was like her greatness was magnified ten times.

"She's no outcast to be put away," mother said, "she's a girl, she's a life, and her life is worth the same as ours. And that shall be her name: Liv; because we shall always remember the value of a life."

Mother looked at Liv and saw a beautiful little baby; a little baby that by April 1940 had grown into a beautiful young girl, a girl that forever needed her family.

So you see, I had to take her into consideration. I had to face that my parents wouldn't live forever, and that I one day would be her sole provider. I needed to stay safe for her. I wanted her to have a good life, but I also realized that without our freedom there wouldn't be a life for her to live.

It was with a heavy heart, but with a strong conviction, that I made the decision to take my chance to continue my effort with the resistance force. All I had to do was to make sure I got through it alive.

TBC

Liv a common name in Norway, and it means "life".