This is about a great friend of mine and about the end of one era and the start of a new. It all started with a phonecall, don't quite remember when, think it was somewhere around last fall. It was Staffan, an old friend from my time in Luleå. We had started out in the same class the first year of university and had hung out quite a lot, partying like animals and had also been roommates for two years as well. We had made some great memories together.
He was calling about a wedding. His wedding. He and Lou was going to get married after finally ending a two year long distance relationship between Sweden and Canada. Saying he wanted me there, as bestman, together with a mutual friend Anton and his brother Henrik. Of course! Bestman, wow! I was both honored and humbled. We didn't had that much of contact during the last year so it came a bit as a surpise. It was going to be my first wedding I attended as well so I didn't know what to expect neither what was expected of me.
Fast forward a year. It's summer and I sittning on the train to Flen, to meet up with Staffan. He had invited me to join two days before the wedding for a crayfish party with his and Lou's family which had flown in a few days ahead. I'd gotten free from work and was going to join them. After a short drive from the train station we arrived at Staffan's childhood place. It was a farm with an old house on a hill with a beautiful view of the farmland all around. I arrived late in the afternoon and the sun was setting sending a warm and inviting light over the hill.
It was people everywhere, streaming out and in of the house. Greeting and saying hello to everyone I had a hard time just to remember who was who and what relation they had to the bride or the groom. But at the time it didn't seem to matter, the mood was as good as it could be and the weather appeared to had been affected by it by showing its best.
Staffan and his family was running around, setting the table out on the porch trying to get everything ready. I was trying to help, but was still feeling a little out of place and decided eventually to just keep out or their way. When the crayfish and people each had found their place everything fell into place and I suddenly felt at home. The mood snatched me away and I could do nothing but ride along. The same mood that kept me riding for another 3 days. Had such a great evening with wonderful people.
