Captured

I've been spending the whole day at home, in bed reading one of my Christmas book for hours and munching on Swedish cookies. I got so excited when I opened one of my many presents on Christmas Eve and found this one inside. I had put it on my wish list and was hoping Santa Would give it to me. But then I waited a while before throwing myself over it. I had other books I had to finish so at first I just flipped through it a little bit, felt the weight in my hand and put it aside. And then today I couldn't wait any longer. I started reading the first chapter and wouldn't stop after that. I love autobiographies in general. It's so exciting to get to be a part of another person's mind for a while. And since I'm such a soccer and Zlatan fan I was looking forward to this one a little bit extra. What a fascinating person he is and what a life. A true story and it's all real. I wish my life could be a story like that. With a happy ending of course...

I actually met him once. A late summer evening in Malmo, Sweden. My sister and I had been out having some drinks together, just us two sisters. We didn't live close by each other at that time either and I was in Malmo visiting her and I was happy about just spending time with her. I felt the evening had been great already and I had no idea it was about to become even better. All of a sudden, there he was, standing in the middle of Lilla Torg in Malmo, a popular square with many bars and restaurants. I don't know if it was the extra confidence we got from one of the cocktails but we walked up to him, asking if we could take a photo with him. He was cool but nice, posed willingly in the middle of two happy sisters. One of his friends volunteered as photographer, capturing the moment on my little disposable camera I luckily had found in my handbag. He took one extra just for safety, as he said, because this was about ten years ago and it wasn't as common with a digital camera so we had no idea if it would turn out to even be a picture at all. Then, when nervously developing the photos, it showed to be such a great one. Me and my sister beaming and a smiling Zlatan holding one arm around each of us. My sister later enlarged the photo as a gift for me and I still have it in my old room at my parent's house. So whenever I come home, there he is, greeting me with his big grin.