Ode to a Sea Captain

Sad unbearable news hit me as I walked off the bus in Rimbo and was met by Malin; our great big strong constantly cursing granddad passed away  fast but peacefully last night. It came as a total shock to me and I couldn't do anything but stare at the coloured in anchor on my right arm which I had planned to tattoo on my left wrist as a homage both to the sea, my hometown and my grandad the Sea Captain. I had even messaged the tattoist in the bus before knowing!

My granddad was a big man. A tall, strong and increadibly funny man. He could curse like nobody else and smoked rolled cigarettes in wooden holkar. He loved pinetrees highly, and used to place little sticks around little pine plants at the cottage, and we were under stricy instructions as kids NOT to step on the pine babies! He was a Cap Horner and had sailed I think all the seas in the world. He went into war when he was only a young lad, and he had three beautiful children with my wonderful beautiful grandmom. Karl-Gustav has the biggest of place in so many peoples hearts, and he will be sorely sorely missed as the great wondeful and excentric man he was.

I will tattoo my anchor thinking of you granddad, and thank you for teaching me how to curse like a proper Sea Captain! I am so happy you got to read my column and that you called mom to tell her how proud you were of me. It meant the world to me. I am also so increadibly happy I got to see you and hug you so many times this summer, many more than previous summers when I have been busy working.

I love you to bits and thank you for all you have given me and my family. I remember you with tears streaming down my face and a great big smile accompaning it.

I want to conclude with my granddad's favorites, the first a song he used to sing to his seamen at his various boats, the second a qoute he has told me since I was 19 and decided to move to London:

'Noustakaa perkele kusipäät nyt on aaaaaaamu!!!!!!!!!!'

'och Anna-Karin, minns att LIT INT PÅ EN JÄVEL!'

The wierdest thing is that the picture above is from Saturday, when we were at a Danish pub and I was explaining why I am going to tattoo an anchor on my arm...