Tindra Moves into the Holmvik Brygge
Tindra wandered through the grass-covered alleys of Nyksund until she came to a large yellow building on the second island. It was impressive but also melancholic: the house was completely dilapidated. The roof was full of holes, none of the windows were intact, and inside, she saw two large empty halls spread over two floors. The lower floor was almost impossible to enter, as it was filled with debris and old items blocking the way.
"This looks exciting," thought Tindra as she sat on an old beam to watch what was happening. Two men were working there. First, they cleared out the entire building. Then they began dismantling the neighboring buildings, which had already completely collapsed. They brought the wood, beams, and planks to the Holmvik Brygge to build new walls, ceilings, and floors. Tindra was fascinated by how the remains of old houses were being turned into something new.
She liked it. She decided to stay and create her own home in this house. Secretly, she began to saw a small hole in a freshly finished wall, just the size of a mouse hole. From there, she started setting up a small but cozy apartment. From time to time, she snuck away with some tools, screws, nails, and small pieces of wood. Ssemjon and Karl Heinz occasionally noticed missing materials, but it was never enough to spark a big search.
Over the next two years, the Holmvik Brygge transformed from a ruined building into a respectable home. Young people from all over the world came to help Ssemjon and Karl Heinz with their work. Finally, the last hammer blow fell. Tindra sat contentedly on a beam, admiring the finished work.
But something puzzled her. Why did the house have so many bedrooms? Then she realized: it wasn’t an ordinary home but a guesthouse for people visiting Nyksund. She found that exciting. Soon, the first guest arrived. Curious, Tindra crept closer to eavesdrop on the conversation between Karl Heinz and the guest.
The guest asked how the house had been restored and what it had been before. Karl Heinz explained that it used to be a fish factory where salted fish, caviar, and transport boxes for shipping fish were produced. The buildings had never been used as homes and were in terrible condition. Nevertheless, they had to buy them from the previous owner and obtain a building permit. Just yesterday, an official from the town hall had been there to approve the opening.
"And was Holmvik the previous owner?" the guest asked. "No," replied Karl Heinz, "the previous owner was Øyvind Kristophersen. Holmvik was a craftsman and architect who lived here in Nyksund. To ensure his name isn’t forgotten, we named the house after him."
The guest found that very nice, and Tindra was also pleased to learn so much about the house she now lived in.
"And do you have more plans for the house?" the guest asked. Karl Heinz nodded. "Yes, in the coming years, we plan to renovate the lower floor and turn it into a small café so our visitors can have something to eat."
Tindra was thrilled. A café! Surely there would always be something tasty for her there.
In the following years, she watched as the café was built, which later expanded into a restaurant. The rooms were also gradually modernized; many got their own bathrooms. Karl Heinz hadn’t been seen for a long time, but Ssemjon was always there, constantly building. People from all over the world kept coming to help him.
Meanwhile, many other houses in Nyksund were also restored. Businesses opened, and the small village became increasingly lively. Over 20 people now lived there, and visitors came year-round to eat or rent a room. And in the middle of it all was Tindra. She had since built an entire system of tunnels within the walls of the Holmvik Brygge. Nothing that happened in the house escaped her notice.
Time flew by, and everything was so exciting. But one day, Tindra realized that she was actually all alone.
"I need to find friends," she thought. But that’s another story.
