Memories That Remain

2020:

Frida left her Swedish home early that Monday. It was settled that the four members of ABBA would meet in the studio at 08:00am to start the last week of recording the new album. They had already two songs finished from 2018 and those would be, at first, everything they would do. But then she received a calling from Benny asking her if she wanted to join for more singing and a whole new album. Of course she accepted; she spent many years willing to do something new with ABBA again and just when she thought this would never happen, well, here they are.
To record the first two songs was a wonderful experience although she was quite nervous. Nothing with her voice, which she knew was still strong, but with the fact that she would see the other three, spend some weeks seeing them everyday, working with them, just the four of them alone in the studio. How would be the atmosphere? Could they work together again? Could they reproduce that chemistry that they once had?
When they had the chemistry to create music they were two couples for most of the time, but what about now? 40 years later, older, with totally different lives, they have changed a lot.
Her doubts were vanished the exact moment she heard the arrangements created by Benny, read the lyrics written by Björn and started joining hers and Agnetha's voices. God, they were still so good! She felt over the moon working with those people again.
The atmosphere was quiet and they were all shy with each other, talking mostly about professional matters and being polite in a different way than what could be considered normal. Two weeks spent this way.

Now they reunited one more time for more weeks working together. They were about to start the fourth and last week. The previous three passed almost the same way as those from two years ago, apart that, being more time in the company of each other, once in a while they talked some detailes about their private lives, their grandchildren etc. There was nothing to worry about, right?

Frida entered Benny's studio, where everything was taking place, and felt strange as it was too quiet for a Monday, she saw no one while making her way to the room where they were working.
When the elevator opened at the third floor she could hear a very familiar sound fulfilling the whole ambient. It spread through her whole body as well and warmed up her heart. A piano. His piano. She would recognise that sound anywhere, anytime.
She felt the knot inside her growing tighter, but ignored it just like she was doing for the past three weeks over and over.

When she opened the door she saw him, alone in the room, sitting in from of his piano totally absorbed by a melody she never have listened before. He was so concentrated that he didn't realised her presence behind him. Frida stood there listening for some time and when he finally made a stop she spoke in a low voice.

- Hello... - He jumped and turned to see her. - Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

- No problem. How long have you being here?

- I just entered - she didn't know why she lied.

- Ok. What are you doing here? Specially so early...

- What do you mean? We're supposed to meet here to start the last recording week at 8am today, but apparently there is no one else in the whole building.

Benny made an enormous effort not to laugh because he knew it would make her angry, so he turned to his piano again and pointed to a white board where she could read: "ABBA - 4th week recording - Tuesday at 8am".

- What??? Why no one told me???

- "No one told you" because you were in the room when Björn asked to start this week's work on Tuesday because he had an important thing scheduled with his daughter, Anna, at Västervik today. So we all agreed.

- But...

- Are you taking your vitamins for the memory? - she felt more than saw his smile, as he didn't turn to her yet.