Dear Pål,
I was planning to send you this letter as soon as you would be feeling better upon your return to Oslo earlier this month. Actually, I wanted to tell you in person during your last visit to Athens, but unfortunately, we met in Athens very briefly and when you returned to Oslo, it was already too late. So, Im writing to you now, and I hope that you will read this wherever you are.
We first met at my bookstore in Athens, purely by coincidence. I think it was 10 years ago. You had just bought your apartment in Athens and you were very excited about it. We started talking and when you realized I was the owner, you asked about a certain gentleman, whom you had met a few years ago in the bookstore. He intrigued you but you did not know at the time that he was my husband. So, fate and the love of books brought us all together. My husband Nikos joined us and instantly a new friendship was born. We saw each other as often as we could and it was fun how with each of us you talked about different topics. I was your advisor in more personal or practical issues, while with Nikos you discussed philosophy and economics. We invited you to our summer house in the island of Spetses and little by little met your loving daughter Maria, your grandchildren and your brother Jon and his family, with whom we became friends as well. We met Rita. And many of your friends who visited you.
You met our friends. You spent a few Christmases in our house, along with our family and friends. We felt that you belonged to our family, I hope you felt this, too. I remember taking you to a small restaurant in Athens and you were so enthusiastic about it, that you told us that you wished your father was alive to experience this with you.
We went to Sounion with you and Jon and enjoyed the sunset together. You invited us to Oslo and showed us around. You cooked for us and I undertook putting order on your CD collection, as we shared the same love for music, a difficult task I never completed.
You explained philosophy to me. So clear and in a simple way that showed me what an excellent professor you were. We had a lot of fun talking about a thousand things and you always made Nikos and me feel special. You were close to me during the recent difficult times in my life.
When we spoke before Christmas, I mentioned that I had seen a movie about a Norwegian girl coming with her Indian boyfriend from the USA to spend Christmas in Norway. It was a comedy and I was surprised to discover that it is a custom for Norwegians to swim in a hole of ice-cold water 1 day before Christmas Eve. So, we promised to each other that on Christmas 2024 I would come to Oslo with Nikos and we would go together with you to swim in a hole of ice-cold water. This will not happen.
Pål, I thank you for your special friendship and for everything we said or did together. I regret not having told you in person how important you were to us and how much we loved you. We miss you and we will never forget you.
Sofika and Nikos
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