I want to write all about our celebration of Husband’s Day on the 25th. In Iceland, which Yumeka has an affinity for, it is the first day of the fourth month of winter. Þorrablót is another name of the festival, after the name of the month itself, Þorri, and speeches and poems were received to honour Þórr, known in English as Thor.
I had been working the previous night, so we didn’t herald the month at daybreak. The usual routine of swimming and sauna. Afterwards all the men of the house gathered outside with only one trouser leg on, and danced about on one leg, causing such a din that I’m sure it could be heard many miles away, carried on the winter air. Ansel, to my dismay, showed up in grey joggers. I thought he would be better dressed for the occasion—“Not leather trousers?” “It’s fine,” he answered. Then Leotrim proposed: “I can wear leather trousers.” And I was so excited that Ansel became jealous and offered to wear leather trousers too. “It’s fine,” I teased him. “Grey joggers are fine.” Even now I don’t think Leotrim noticed how wanting for attention Ansel is.
Iseul wore satiny, burgundy disco trousers that flared. Yumeka wore silver-white sequin trousers. Bedivere wore his… tactical trousers. Sigh. It was fine, I knew he would wear them, they’re “comfy”, whatever. Nova came as a deathfish—he had no legs—so he wore a floppy brown trouser on his first dorsal fin as if it were a sock on his head. I had no idea he could be so silly! He was very charming… There was snow on the ground, but he made sure that a light snow was still falling, and as we made our way deeper into the snow plain, a dozen sun pillars shut up from the horizons around us. Nova knew how much I missed winter… White hares came, darted off, as hares do. Circling in the air Nova created a flurry. The air was cold and beautiful…
The children then began wanting to join, but they hesitated. I told them that it was OK for them to want to do “boys’” things. We gave the both of them pairs Leoša’s old trousers, they danced along. My dog aspects joined, too, as a puppy. I was semiverbal, so instead of crying “Bóndadagur! Bóndadagur!” I was going, “Bóngur! Bóngur!”
Then finally Garadon and Trezéni showed… How deeply I love Garadon… He was embarrassed, did not believe he would look good in any sort of trousers (he was a sheath). I suggested that he would look handsome in workman’s trousers, but he decided to wear his kilt and carry a bell. Zeni wore cute knickers under his white shirt.
Ansel was so earnest, as usual. That serious expression on his face as he called out “Bóndadagur!” as if it were an order. Yumeka was laughing as he cried out. Everyone was having fun… Even Nova was laughing. I had almost forgotten what that was like…
At night, we held our Norse metal concert. Nova was in charge of the staging and lighting, of course. I think it was Ansel’s idea to bring in the two petting goats, after the ones that pulled Thor’s chariot. Yuuka took percussion, Nova bass guitar, Ansel, in a red bandana, electric guitar. They all sang. Ansel was lead vocals. A light conjuration of Thor struck his hammer in time with the beat, a clear clanging as if on metal, and lightning shooting down from the heavens. Great oaks around us danced and Julia drank catsup as she sat at a table and petted goats.
I hadn’t seen Nova so full of energy before. I’m so glad… I had missed my friend.
He was jealous of me?
—Leotrim