Carpe Diem: Bojan / Käärijä

Ice cream

When we get outside it is already dark and even chillier than earlier.

"So what should we do now?" I ask.

"Maybe we can go eat ice cream," Jere suggests.

"Ice cream? At this temperature?" I ask confused.

"Yes yes, I like to eat ice cream when it is warm but also cold," he explains.

"Is that a Finnish thing?" I ask jokingly.

"Maybe, I don't know," he looks at me smiling.

"Okay, sure. Why not," I tell him.

"I know there is one, I don't know how to say it, like a kioski where we buy ice cream," Jere says.

"Yeah, do you mean a kiosk?"

"Yes exactly, a kiosk. The ice cream looks delicious. It is near the river there," Jere points at the river some blocks away.

"Okay, we can walk there, that's not far away," I say.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. The fastest and easiest way is to walk," I reassure him.

"Okay."

We start walking. The closer we get to the river, the more the wind blows. While we walk, Jere explains his love for ice cream and where he buys his ice cream cheap in Finland. He is so cute when he talks about something random that is very close to his heart.

"We go buy ice cream there when you come to Finland," Jere tells me.

I get butterflies in my stomach. He wants me to come to visit him in Finland.

"Yes, of course."

He smiles at me for a few seconds but it feels like forever. I smile at him too. As I look at him all I can think is how lucky I am to have met him. The moment feels euphoric walking in the evening of Liverpool next to the coolest, sweetest, and funniest guy. The feeling takes over me and I carefully stroke his hand with mine. I don't dare to look at him but I can see him glance at my hand and then at me from the corner of my eye. Then he takes my hand slowly into his. Jere's hand feels soft and warm and holding it as we walk makes me feel safe. Even though we don't say anything to each other for the rest of the walk, the silence doesn't feel awkward. In a couple of minutes, we are at the kiosk.

"Hello!" Jere says to the ice cream seller still holding my hand tightly.

"Good evening, what would you like to order?" the man says.

"What do you want, Bojan?" Jere asks and looks at me.

"Umm... I'll have the chocolate," I say to the man.

"Great! Do you want it in a cup or a cone?"

"A cup, please," I answer.

"There you go," he says as he hands me my ice cream.

"Thanks!"

"What about you?" the man asks Jere.

"I will take the pistachio ice cream."

"Cup or cone?"

"Cup."

"Very well," the man says and makes Jere his ice cream.

I pulled my hand from Jere's and started to dig my pockets for my wallet.

"Oh no no. I pay," Jere says.

"No, it's fine," I say back to him.

"No, you pay at restaurant, I pay ice cream," Jere insists.

"Okay. Thank you," I smile at him.

The man gives Jere his pistachio ice cream and Jere pays with his card. Then we sit down on a bench that looks over the river to eat.

"Is pistachio your favorite flavor?" I ask.

"No, I never tasted pistachio ice cream, but it is green like Käärijä so I took it," he says and laughs.

"Right," I chuckle.

"Can I taste your chocolate?" Jere asks.

"Sure, if you let me taste yours."

"Of course!"

He gives me his spoon and tells me to scoop some ice cream on it, so I do the same and give him my spoon. Then when I am about to give his spoon back he puts my spoon close to my mouth.

"May I good sir?" he asks in a British accent.

"Yes, you may," I say and open my mouth.

He feeds me a spoonful of pistachio ice cream and it tastes like heaven.

"Now your turn mister," I say in a British accent just like him.

"Yes yes," he says, he opens his mouth and I let him taste the chocolate ice cream. We can't hold it in anymore and just as the ice cream touches Jere's mouth we start laughing.

"Wow, that is really good," Jere compliments.

"Yours was super good," I say back to him.

Then I scoot closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder as we continue eating, talking, and looking at the river.