in the process of compiling her own book on philosophy. It was not by her, but
written especially for her.
She had no time to do her homework for Monday. They were probably going to
have a test in Religious Knowledge, but the teacher always said he valued personal
commitment and value judgments. Sophie felt she was beginning to have a certain
basis for both.
Hellenism
... a spark from the fire…
Although the philosophy teacher had begun sending his letters directly to the
old hedge, Sophie nevertheless looked in the mailbox on Monday morning, more out
of habit than anything else.
It was empty, not surprisingly. She began to walk down Clover Close.
Suddenly she noticed a photograph lying on the sidewalk. It was a picture of a
white jeep and a blue flag with the letters UN on it. Wasn’t that the United Nations
flag?
Sophie turned the picture over and saw that it was a regular postcard. To “Hilde
Moller Knag, c/o Sophie Amundsen ...” It had a Norwegian stamp and was post-
marked “UN Battalion” Friday June 15, 1990.
June 15! That was Sofie’s birthday!
The card read:
Dear Hilde, I assume you are still celebrating your 15th birthday. Or is this the
morning after? Anyway, it makes no difference to your present. In a sense, that will
last a lifetime. But I’d like to wish you a happy birthday one more time. Perhaps you
understand now why I send the cards to Sophie. I am sure she will pass them on to
you.
P.S. Mom said you had lost your wallet. I hereby promise to reimburse you the
150 crowns. You will probably be able to get another school I.D. before they close for
the summer vacation. Love from Dad.
Sophie stood glued to the spot. When was the previous card postmarked? She
seemed to recall that the postcard of the beach was also postmarked June—even
though it was a whole month off. She simply hadn’t looked properly.
She glanced at her watch and then ran back to the house. She would just have to
be late for school today!
Sophie let herself in and leaped upstairs to her room. She found the first
postcard to Hilde under the red silk scarf. Yes! It was also postmarked June 15!
Sophie’s birthday and the day before the summer vacation.
Her mind was racing as she ran over to the supermarket to meet Joanna.
Who was Hilde? How could her father as good as take it for granted that Sophie
would find her? In any case, it was senseless of him to send Sophie the cards instead
of sending them directly to his daughter. It could not possibly be because he didn’t
know his own daughter’s address. Was it a practical joke? Was he trying to surprise
his daughter on her birthday by getting a perfect stranger to play detective and
mailman? Was that why she was being given a month’s headstart? And was using her
as the go-between a way of giving his daughter a new girlfriend as a birthday present?
Could she be the present that would “last a lifetime”?
If this joker really was in Lebanon, how had he gotten hold of Sophie’s address?
Also, Sophie and Hilde had at least two things in common. If Hilde’s birthday was
June 15, they were both born on the same day. And they both had fathers who were