It was August now, and apart from my four days’ escape I had been on the Wild School island nearly four months. My insides were in knots thinking about going to Helsinki. Matti cracked a few jokes as we set off. Maybe he saw how nervous I was? ‘Hey, Niilo, want to dive overboard and swim alongside the ferryboat?’ But I didn’t laugh. I had gone quiet again and said nothing. Sam suggested he give me some peace, so Matti’s jokes quickly dried up and we crossed the sea to Helsinki in silence, apart from the screaming gulls above and the throb of the engine. After half an hour or so, the skyline of Helsinki with the huge copper dome of the cathedral came into view. It wasn’t long after that Matti moored the boat at the market square and bade farewell to me and Sam. ‘Have a good holiday, Niilo,’ he said. It was still tourist season and crowds were milling around the market stalls. The market was in full swing, so everything felt busy and noisy.
