I awoke with a headache and a ringing in my head "Ring, ring".
I wondered where it came from but just as I came to my senses the ringing stopped. I looked down and saw an empty bottle lying next to me which still had the odor of strong alcohol that hit my nose when i picked it up to study its title, "Ring, ring".
There it was again that damn ringing which made me look up in my room, the full thrash bags, the multiple locks on my door, the window covered in cardboard, the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, the big poster with a blue and yellow striped tiger with the text below "En svensk tiger". It all came back to me, the war with its costs and with its destruction. I remember participating in the early fights for Sweden when Netherlands invaded our lands but injuries pardoned me from the harshest frontlines which my brothers and sisters fought in. The same frontlines that collapsed early followed by retreats and more death.
I looked at the poster again and noticed that i started clenching my teeth harder together so i tried relaxing my muscles which made me open my mouth a bit, it reeked from last night's so-called sleep medicine that I guess comes from the bottle in my hand, "Ring, ring".
I jump up at the sound wondering if it's still in my head or where's this sound comming from, suddenly orienting myself I realize the sound comes from outside the cardboard covered window, it gets louder as I stand up from my bed and head through the thrash filled labyrinth towards the window, "Ring, ring".
I am now at the window and can hear it clearly as I pull one of the cardboards aside to look outside. As I do I hear someone say "Goedemorgen!". I can see outside and my eyes widen as I see a person setting up a small flower shop while bikes fly past right to left "Ring, ring", "Goedemorgen!". With fear in my eyes I look at the bikers speeding past my covered window and when i look closer at the flower shop, and that's when I see it.
Tulips.
I fall backwards and hit a thrash bag on my way down which eases my fall. My breath speeds up and my heart feels like it's gonna jump out of my chest as i look down in my hand again, the bottle. I am still holding the bottle, I turn i towards me so i can read what once was it's contents "Hallands Fläder".
For the first time today I smile and whisper to my self, "They may have taken our land but some things will always remain ours". Then I look up towards the poster of the striped tiger and with a tear running down my cheek I again read "En svensk tiger" as I once again clench my teeth. "Ring, ring"