It was on the morning of September 28 that there was a knock on the door, their daughter Linda was one of those missing after the Estonia sank. First came the shock and anger, then the denial.
– It took a very long time before we understood that it had happened, you were often gripped by a hope that it wouldn’t be true, but in the end it was, says Lise-Marie Burman.
Charity trip
17-year-old Linda was on a charity trip to Estonia and she was one of five students at Malgomajskolan in Vilhelmina who died, also two teachers and the principal of the school died on board Estonia when the disaster happened.
Ulla-Britt Granberg, who was a deacon in the church, ensured that all relatives quickly had the opportunity to meet.
– Proximity, heat and liquid, that’s what’s needed. I thought they should be here, we couldn’t go out to everyone, they lived in Storuman, Saxnäs and Fredrika. It was the best thing that happened, that we got to be together and cry, says Ulla-Britt Granberg.
The bodies must be recovered
For Lise-Marie and her husband Karl, the first years consisted of arguing with the authorities. They and many other relatives wanted the bodies of their loved ones to be recovered.
– We argued with the higher-ups in the government and that gave me strength to continue, because if we hadn’t caught Linda, we would have known that they had tried, but they did nothing… It was a betrayal, says Lise -Marie and continues:
– And when we discovered that it didn’t produce any results, then we decided to stop. Now we have to start living, and start feeling joy in life.
Everyone knew everyone
– You noticed that everyone knew everyone. You knew the children, the parents, maybe had a teacher at school. Everyone was affected and I became like a small engine in the whole thing, says Ulla-Britt Granberg, who up until five years ago organized moments of remembrance every five years for the affected families.
Linda’s mother Lise-Marie believes that one day it will come to light what actually happened that night, what caused the ferry to sink so quickly.
– But we don’t think about it that often, you have to move on, absolutely, she says.