“Private Pleasures”

I had been wishing to invite Rune to my hometown for a long while now, and not only him; our mutual friends, too. We were a little band of adventurers, a diverse group with unique perspectives and personalities. There was Gudrun, the vivacious extrovert; Nils, the laid-back jokester; Astrid, the thoughtful observer; and Maren, the ever-searching spirit.

There were reasons why I wanted to invite them. Bergen was a town that offered a stern natural beauty commanding attention. The awe-inspiring mountains and rugged fjords were regularly bathed in misty rain showers, and the steep streets and narrow alleyways had an air of intrigue.

Luck was on my side, and during the long weekend of May Day, everyone finally decided to join me there. As we strolled along the cobblestone pathways, the ladies couldn't help but marvel at the traditional, wooden houses that lined the streets.

“Look at how charming these buildings are!” Maren exclaimed, excitedly waving her hand in that direction. Seeing her enthusiasm, Nils chose to take a quick photo with his newest phone, as well.

“And the fjords!” Gudrun interjected with almost equal passion, pointing towards the breathtaking view in the distance. “I’ve never imagined they could be this stunning when seen this close!”

“Why don’t we take a boat trip?” I suggested then, knowing it would mesmerize everyone.

And just like that, soon, we were gliding along the waters of the fjords. I felt that we had fantastic weather conditions; and after catching Rune’s gaze fixed on me, I couldn’t help but quirk my brows at him.

It felt like nothing could spoil the perfect moment but soon, all my friends found themselves engaged in a heated discussion about relationships and personal choices, that began with Astrid’s disapproval of casual relationships.

“You’re absolutely right, Astrid. People these days don’t value commitment anymore,” Gudrun spoke.

“I also think like this, actually,” Nils nodded in agreement.

“Yeah!” Maren exclaimed, brushing off her hair, as she was simultaneously trying to capture a selfie with the fjord in the distance. “It’s disheartening to see how society has become so focused on instant gratification rather than building meaningful connections.”

As I was listening to it, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated by their narrow-mindedness. What did it bother them that some people had casual relationships? Did anyone had to adhere to their traditional values?!

I didn’t know what had happened to them; but recently, their sense of moral superiority over other people became increasingly harder to stand. I longed for =open-minded and accepting conversations that weren’t focused on judging others... but it wasn’t possible around them.

Feeling tempted to challenge their black-and-white, all-or-nothing way of thinking, I decided to speak up. “Hey guys, don’t you think that you are being somewhat stern about it all? I understand that commitment and emotional connection are important, etc. but hey, everyone has different preferences and approaches to relationships, what doesn’t work for you may work for them!” I said lightheartedly, hoping to inject some reason into the discussion...

“He’s right,” Rune said then, eyeing me briefly before gazing at Astrid; whose face looked both flushed and swollen, likely from anger at the fact that we had dared to oppose her. “Let people do what they like, it’s not like anyone pays you for pushing your opinion...”

“It is not about pushing my opinion,” Astrid interrupted him, and I could tell that a storm was coming. “It’s about having standards and valuing meaningful relationships over casual fucking…”

Rune kept silent, not wanting to argue with her; it was clear that he wouldn’t win, not because he wasn’t right, but because some people were so vicious when it came to protecting their own opinions, that it was better to just avoid them.

“We just believe in personal freedom,” I helped him. “I mean, some people need to explore a bit before settling down, you know...”

“Oh, come on, Espen,” Gudrun sent me a disappointing look. “We’re not judging people for being themselves. We just talk about those jerks that make you believe you’re worthy of something, but then leave you in corner, sulking...”

In that instant, I understood that while our friendship was still going quite strong, there were certain limitations to how likeminded we were.

After we finished the boat ride, and got back on the streets, the tension lingered in the air...

“Why don’t you explain to him what we mean, Nils?” Astrid kept pushing her boyfriend, to talk with Rune.

“Yeah, you are a guy and agree with us,” Gudrun spoke then, and Maren nodded, trying to be supportive of her two friends...

Meanwhile, I couldn’t resist feeling utterly disappointed by this conversation... All of them considered themselves to be modern, progressive people, but their moral judgments clearly clouded their ability to truly accept and understand different perspectives…

“Oh God, Astrid! Look at that woman!” Gudrun shouted suddenly, grabbing her friend by the elbow. “Who dresses like that?!”

I shook my head, and threw a quick glance at Rune. It took us just one silent second to exchange our frustration, and feel a little bit better.

“Let’s go eat something,” Nils asked. “Any good place that you’d recommend, Espen?”

“Yeah, it’s actually right here,” I said, waving my hand at the restaurant ten meters away from us. It was serving traditional Norwegian delicacies such as my favorite lutefisk – which was cooked dry fish previously soaked in lye, and later served with mustard sauce and potatoes.

After we entered the restaurant, I gave my friends a few moments to look around, as the place was quite beautiful, its walls and ceiling adorned with rosemaling - a decorative painting style featuring vibrant floral patterns.

The wooden furniture gathered here added an authentic touch to the atmosphere, and so did the elegantly hand-painted porcelain dishes. Soft sounds of traditional Norwegian folk music played in the air...

I was happy to share this place with my friends, and I was convinced that despite their capricious personalities, they would appreciate it. However, as soon as we sat down and began picking dishes, trouble began.

“Hey, Espen...” Rune gestured me to lean over the menu. “Have you ever tried this? It seems tasty!”