Cascade 2

My chair clattered across the floor as I sprang up. I drew breath to speak, thought better of it and ran my fingers through my hair in confusion.

“We’ve stayed in touch,” continued Angelo, “but she hasn’t updated her Facebook page or called me in two months.”

I sat down again heavily and shook my head more to clear it than in denial. To remember all that again was dizzy, but I could only think of how much I wanted to forget all over.

I looked down at my desk and tried to speak but failed.

“I know you have no reason to help her now, or especially me,” Angelo said gently, almost sadly. “But I ask you, please, help me find her. She could be in trouble.”

“Why would I care?” I asked. I lifted my gaze from the tabletop to his face. 


Without replying, he changed the subject. "I need your language skills and your detective skills. I need you to come with me to Finland and find her."

Finland. I was Finnish once. I swallowed emptiness and recalled a land of spring snowfall and sunlit summer nights.

"How much did you take away from me?" I asked, throat trying to close in on the words. "How much of my life have I forgotten?"

"I'm sorry." Angelo sighed.

"You're sorry?" I snorted. "You didn't even do it, Maria did. And now you want me to help her?" I fought to keep my voice down through rising indignation. "Unless this is just a new game the two of you have cooked up between yourselves..."

"That's unfair. No one ever played games on you," Angelo protested.

"Just go away." I turned away, faced the window, tried to admire the effect of shop signs and streetlights in the London fog.

"She asked me to give you a letter."

After a small pause I snorted again. "Before or after she disappeared?"

"Years ago."

I couldn't think of anything more to say.

"Please, Lena. Help us. Help her."

"My name is Julia," I whispered.