INGRID (ENGLISH VERSION)

OPPOSITE SIDES

2019 was a year, that I didn't get involved with Alexandria at all. On the contrary, just like I promised Johanna, we would be writing our third Uaithnia album. I didn't want to write a sixth album with Alexandria. Of course, I wasn't thinking that this would be over, as I did two years before. It's only that I didn't want Lydia in the band anymore. Especially after our fight at the bus stop, only her thought made me feel sick. It was impossible for me to walk in the same studio with that person. That's why I asked the others if we could take a break and not compose anything yet because I wanted to get involved with Uaithnia. And of course, I said nothing about Lydia to them.

Before I returned to Ireland, I stopped in Oulu, Finland. I wanted to visit my sister, Monica because we hadn't seen each other for a long time. About that time, Monica was playing in a concert with her orchestra in Oulu, so I went to watch it. She was living with her husband and their two children in a village in Oulu, which I personally consider having NOTHING AT ALL. It was a completely uninteresting and boring village and I was highly impressed by the fact that Monica could be living there. Anyway, I was glad to stay a few days with her, even though Monica and I didn't have the same kind of relationship that Johanna and I did. Johanna and I spent hours talking about problems that concerned us, whereas Monica wasn't talking at all. Since we were young, the silence was her own defense mechanism. And then, I realised that I had started behaving like that, too. I used to remain silent, without reacting at all.

After my stop in Oulu, I returned home to Donegal. I had two priorities. The first was to write the album and the second to graduate from University. There were only a few subjects left for me, in order to have my degree. The only reason I wanted to graduate was that then I could throw it in this motherfucker's, Lydia's face. So, when being in Ireland, I was living in complete solitude. Very often, I wouldn't even open the window shutters, because I didn't want anyone to pay me a visit. On the contrary, I would be staying indoors, thinking about what I was going to write for the album. I had a few ideas, that's why I thought I could write a few short stories, which could be used as a basis for the composition of many of the songs.

 I was in constant communication with Johanna, Scott, and Vivian, and the four of us were exchanging our own ideas. Scott and I were also visiting each other, as he was living in Cork. Even though all of us were living far from each other, our music was connected and had one thing in common: it was campfire music. Honestly, it sounded as if we had camped in a forest and at night we had gathered around the fire, playing folk and acoustic music. Johanna and I were talking almost twice or thrice a day about the songs. However, when talking to me, she could understand that there was something wrong with me. At some point, she asked me about it, but I instantly changed the topic, because I didn't want to discuss with her my fight with Lydia at the bus stop.

A few days later, though, I was interrupted from writing, because the phone rang.

"Ingrid, good evening. It's Ivanna".

"Sweet, Ivanna! I've missed you so much!", I said enthusiastically.

She sighed. "I am calling you because I'm worried about you. Your sister, Johanna, phoned and said to me that she thinks there's something wrong with you".

"Everything is alright", I lied. "No reason for any of you to worry about me".

"Ingrid, you're not telling the truth, are you? You know you can talk to me at all times. I'm your best friend".

I was silent for a while, but then I stuttered: "Ivanna, everything....is.....shit!"

And then I told her everything. I told her that Lars hit on me and about these two times that I fought with Lydia: once when she spoke against Johanna and the other time at the bus stop. We were discussing for about an hour and explained to me that I should have phoned her instead.