Lisa

"“I can still see Lisa as she arrived, tall, straight, and slender. I remember her sun-tanned face, beautifully rounded and framed by dark hair. She was beautiful and spirited, both spirit and matter. The impression was overwhelming, and I soon realized that she was the woman in my life.” This is how Ruben himself described his meeting with the postmaster’s daughter, Elisabeth Varenius. The family was of Halland origin and belonged to an old clerical family that had moved to Råå."

"Ruben seemed remarkably elated as he got into the car after the corporate dinner to go home to Simontorp. The management had been unanimous in its assessment of the tetra project. The enthusiasm on their faces was unmistakable. Now he could begin to forge big plans. The tetrahedron would conquer the world and, being as superior as it was, it would happen quickly. Selling the tetrahedron system could not be a problem, he assessed. But along with the joy of finally having a somewhat concrete plan for the development of the tetrahedron, he felt sad at the thought that Lisa would not experience the major step the company was now facing. Their life together had been all too short, and he was not quite sure how he could justify that he had not taken enough time to spend more time with her."

"Looking back now, it might be a bit exaggerated to say, but at that time, I felt as if a challenge had been presented to me. The feeling was (I’ll serve a real anago, just wait a bit). When I asked Steve, “When are you coming next?” his answer was, “Next week.” I informed him, “If it’s Tuesday, anago will arrive.” Usually, the anago served in the shop was prepared, frozen in Japan, and flown by air. Of course, compared to when the available ingredients were limited, it was much better, but there were issues with a slight smell, and the flavor dissolving into the sauce was somewhat lacking. The following week, anago was procured fresh from Japan, only bled out. Transported this way, it maintained a firm, fresh state. The anago was prepared in the shop and sauce was made using the head and bones. The fat that seeped from these parts created an indescribably rich flavor, producing a very tasty sauce with just sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Steve was very satisfied with this anago. Steve was not one to express much about food, and he never used exaggerated American-style praises like “Fantastic!” or “Gorgeous!” Even at this time, that did not change, but he showed a rare smile. I think it was the first time Steve praised me by saying, “It’s good!” There were subsequent requests for anago. Some time later, he came with his daughter Lisa, who was visiting from London, and the two of them devoured 10 pieces of anago sushi."

"There were also occasions when he came to dine with his daughter Lisa, living in London, or his sister Mona individually. Steve’s appearance, cherishing time with special people, was impressive, but what I remember well is when he came with his son Reed. I think it was when Reed was in high school. Steve was listening intently to Reed’s story, giving advice with a serious expression. It might have been about schooling or something related. In the U.S., generally, when raising children, there seems to be a tendency to emphasize autonomy. The focus is often on developing their strengths, with so-called etiquette or deportment being secondary, but the Jobs family was different. With a father that famous, one might think it would be easy to become a bit conceited, but they were properly disciplined, and well-mannered in greetings. It’s probably largely due to Steve seriously engaging with his children."