I Forgot // Olli Määttä

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Emailing the application, I feel a bit nervous. This is my first job since coming back from Finland--if I'm accepted. Working the night shift for the desk in a hotel lobby doesn't seem too hard, and it'll hopefully get me some money for me to pay for college. 

And other things, obviously, like a computer. I definitely need a computer for school. Our professor already assigned us a few writing assignments to be turned in electronically, which I've had to do on Olli's computer. Not that he doesn't selflessly let me use it, but I just feel really guilty about it. 

"Rosa?" Olli's voice echoes through the living room, and I shut the computer to see him peeking in the entryway with someone unfamiliar by his side. "This is Antti, my older brother. He came from Finland because of my surgery next week." 

"Hi," I say softly, getting up off the couch. "It's nice to meet you." He frowns, questioning, 

"But I already--" Olli nudges him mid-sentence, mumbling something in his older brother's ear. A look of realization spreads across Antti's face as he says apologetically, "Anteeksi, unohdin oman onnettomuus." He looks guilty, scuffing his sneaker on the ground, but I just stare at him blankly. 

"Hän ei puhu suomea enää, Antti," Olli tells his brother softly, and he nods slowly. "Hän ei ymmärrä, mitä sanot."

"I would appreciate if I was a part of the conversation," I tell Olli teasingly, and he fumbles with his words before finally spitting out intelligible English ones.

"I am hungry!" I laugh, and he blushes. 

"Dinner for three?" I ask, and the two look at each other and shrug. Antti tells me with a small smile,

"Sure, why not?" 

***

"This place is so good, isn't it?" I say to Antti after swallowing a bite of the delectable cheese. "I didn't know I liked cheese this much till I came here earlier this summer." Olli gives me a sad look, explaining to his older brother,

"We went here all the time with my friend Kasperi...he likes pasta, but he thought it was amazing."

"It is," Antti agrees, taking a piece of gorgonzola from the plate. "You should have brought me here before now."

"Olisit tullut yli ennemmin." I watch as the two engage in an animated conversation entirely in Finnish, simply eating without a word and observing. It's quite interesting to listen to, and funny how long it takes before they remember I have no idea what's happening. 

"Hm?" Is my response to a question Olli asked me, and he face-palms upon realizing this. 

"I am sorry, I forgot you do not know how to speak--"

"Can you teach me?" I blurt, and he smiles widely. 

"Kÿlla. That means 'yes'." 

"Ki-ki--what did you say?" I stutter. 

"Kÿlla." I think it over a few times as the two watch me intently, and I finally say questioningly, 

"Kÿlla?" Olli nods. 

"Ei means 'no', and omenasose is 'applesauce'," he says, and I frown in confusion, taking another bite of delicious cheese.

"Why would I need to know applesauce?" His face goes bright red as he apparently realizes something, but I wanna know what. "What is it? Why 'applesauce'?" He shakes his head, silent for the rest of dinner, but I'm gonna get it out of him, one way or another.