“When soap bubbles lead me to you”
a story told by Anke K.
My name is Anke.
I'm currently out walking the streets of Stockholm. I came to this city thanks to my husband Gerry. We were married for almost 30 years. And we still are. They say “until death do us part”, but I don’t have the feeling that Gerry ever left me entirely. Even though he past away almost one year ago to the day, there are still scores of things that remind me of him. Things that bring me very close to him. To his cheerful nature, his cordiality and the gleam in his eyes. Gerry loved days like today, too. Days when the October sun rises above the roofs of the city for only a few precious hours. A city that bubbles with an abundance of joie de vivre and exudes a certain air of breeziness.
Accompanied by my daughter, I am walking through the winding streets, past numerous shops, museums and churches, all the way to the shopping streets in the center of the city. Here you can see droves of tourists and locals alike sitting, smoking and laughing in front of the bars, enjoying - at least seemingly - the fall season in Sweden. Surrounded by this large crowd of cheerful people and warmed by the rays of the sun, I feel perfectly at ease as well. My thoughts are wandering when my path is suddenly crossed by a myriad of soap bubbles.
“Stop, stand still and let them fly.
Do not burst them. Who knows how far they will keep going”, I hear Gerry exclaim with a chuckle, and I freeze as if rooted to the spot. My daughter does not notice right away that she is extending her “lead” over me substantially. Half a minute later, she turns around and gives me a puzzled look.
I cannot very well ask Gerry to wait until the soap bubbles blown by the Stockholm street artist have passed by. So, I don’t say anything. I simply enjoy his presence. Soap bubble by soap bubble. My glance drops down to my left hand. Gerry had our rings specially made for us back then. I am still wearing my wedding ring. Because we never separated and because there are still so many things that remind me of my wonderful Gerry. Sometimes I break out smiling and imagine that one of these soap bubbles might take me to him. After all, we don’t know how far they really float.”