Djuna: Great that you asked me to interview you! You’ve been a very special colleague to me from the beginning. A mystery. I wanted to get to know you! I would love to ask you a thousand details about where you come from, what you’ve experienced, what’s on your mind in life… But I’ll start from a different angle: Elsa! Why pink?
Elsa: Ha! Very good and accurate start. The trivial answer: because I love pink. The more complex answer: When I was a little girl I always wanted everything pink and glittery, yet I had to wear blue, green, orange, red. My sister got pink! She had a pink toothbrush cup and hers was the pink doll, mine the blue one… she had long hair, I wasn’t allowed to wear my hair long and was kept pretty tomboyish (for my taste). The worst insult to me was that “aunties” thought I was quite the father. I always thought, why! I’m a girl after all… That’s where the pink comes from! And it looks good on me. And I’m still doing something for my little girl. (You can’t publish that though, she says!).
Djuna: Of course! It stays a secret! Okay, moving on. Who was your first crush as a young girl?
Elsa: How young is young? Actually, only fictional men: Bobby Ewing from Dallas. And a doctor from a Dutch hospital series… My first boyfriend at thirteen was the crush of the whole school, I only “dated” him because everyone advised me to. I was totally unpopular: I wore a Flik Flak watch and my big siblings’ hand-me-downs. I never knew what he actually wanted with me… And I was also very much in my own world….
Djuna: What are you afraid of?
Elsa: Of snakes.
Djuna: Well, I know about perfume… You indicated such a special one on, one of the absolute top fragrances. (Chypre Palatin by MDCI Parfums, editor’s note.) Chapeau! I love your perfume. Will you describe it to me?
Elsa: It’s a memory and a promise at the same time. That I will be remembered. Dark as the night. Lush. Soft. A touch of heaviness. Wild. A bit of giddiness… a bit of boredom and a lot of lust. It interrupts. Enchanting and impossible to unravel. It lingers a little, a moment too long… I’m not sure whether I’m still describing the perfume….
Djuna: What do you want to break?
Elsa: A chocolate Easter bunny.
Djuna: Oh, how beautiful, I love that. I want to be there for that! What was your most carefree, easy moment?
Elsa: Last summer: swimming naked in the ocean and then nestling my cold body against the warm rock.
Djuna: Hmmm, I can feel it. What would you like to experience with a guest that you haven’t yet?
Elsa: New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas.
Djuna: What do you love about Haetera?
Elsa: That we all are all a bit crazy and get to nurture it!
Djuna: That is so true! Last question: Will you go out with me sometime, just the two of us, so I can ask you all the things that should be kept secret here?
Elsa: With pleasure! Just with you! I’m already looking forward to it!