In War Sailor, Cecilia finds love again in Alfred’s best friend, Sigbjørn, when Alfred doesn’t return after years of waiting.
In 1939, after considering Alfred’s struggles to run their family, Cecilia allows him to go on the ship to the Atlantic Ocean despite knowing the dangers involved in the job.
Alfred’s best friend, Sigbjørn, had a great relationship with Alfred’s family. Though he never had a family of his own, they considered him one of them. Alfred’s children got along well with him. They were mesmerized by his magic tricks.
Cecilia knows that she can only trust Sigbjørn to bring her husband back. Before they could leave, Cecilia made Sigbjørn promise her that he will bring Alfred back safe and sound.
Sigbjørn and Alfred left, and Cecilia, on her own, ran her family for years. When the British dropped bombs on Laksevåg, she and her kids barely escaped.
Around the same time, she is informed that her husband didn’t survive an attack on a ship, though the truth is that her husband and Sigbjørn had gone missing.
Nobody knows that they got rescued and sent to a Canadian hospital, where Alfred is told that his family didn’t survive the bombings in Bergen. With nothing to live for, Alfred decided to leave the hospital and wander off to nowhere.
He left a letter for Sigbjørn, asking him not to find him because there is no point in this anymore. He desperately wanted his friend to live the rest of his life to the fullest.
Sigbjørn’s return to Bergen
Sigbjørn ignored his friend’s request and looked for Alfred everywhere. He contacted the embassy, every consulate, and every higher official there is for a sign of Alfred.
After failing to find him, he returns home to Bergen and learns that Cecilia and her kids escaped and shifted to a cottage in the woods before the British could drop bombs again.
Sigbjørn tells them about his search for Alfred. Instead of holding onto the hope that her husband might still be alive, Cecilia ends up accepting the fact that he might as well be dead. She says she received this news years ago.
Cecilia moves on; she is just glad that at least Sigbjørn has returned. Much like before, Sigbjørn immediately connects with Alfred’s youngest son, Olav, who has grown up without a father.
Sigbjørn later tries to talk to Cecilia about Alfred again. She says she is not ready for it and believes that Sigbjørn tried his best to look for him.
Sigbjørn is offered a room and a sofa to sleep on. He intends to stay until he gets a job, but Cecilia lets him stay for as long as he wants.
Sigbjørn and Cecilia’s developing relationship
Sigbjørn joins William at work for the time being. He finally receives a job and promises to leave soon. Cecilia and Sigbjørn get along, and it almost starts feeling like Sigbjørn has replaced Alfred.
He teaches William at work and makes Olav happy. Cecilia openly shows her admiration for him. Maggie notices the spark that is between them, but she doesn’t say anything either.
Even Sigbjørn and Cecilia know what is happening. Sigbjørn stays loyal to his friend and tries not to cross the line. Eventually, Cecilia makes the move and invites Sigbjørn into her room.
It seems like Cecilia missed having a man in her life who kept her happy. After years of waiting for Alfred, she may have concluded that it was time to move on. She craved happiness, and Sigbjørn gave her family all of that.
It’s hard to say why Sigbjørn decided to allow this relationship to flourish. Maybe he didn’t like his friend abandoning him. Sigbjørn and Cecilia sleep together and almost become a family.
One day, a letter from the embassy arrives, informing Sigbjørn that they have located Alfred in Singapore. Sigbjørn initially hides the letter from Cecilia. He gives this a thought and comes to realize that he can’t steal his best friend’s life from him.
Sigbjørn leaves to look for Alfred. He intends to keep the promise he made to Cecilia years ago of bringing him back safe and sound.
What happens when Alfred returns?
Sigbjørn locates Alfred, who, at first, declines to even talk to him. Upon learning that his family is alive and well, Alfred agrees to go back home. Sigbjørn doesn’t join him on this journey back to Bergen. He feels guilty for replacing Alfred.
Alfred doesn’t know why Sigbjørn would do that or what has happened back home. He comes back and reunites with his family. Alfred’s youngest son, Olav, who was just a toddler when Alfred left for the Atlantic Ocean, finds it hard to accept his father.
Alfred struggles to form the same bond he once had with his family. Olav keeps staring at him like he is a stranger and even asks for Sigbjørn once.
Alfred realizes what must have happened. Cecilia comes clean and says they didn’t know if he was still alive, and therefore, she won’t apologize.
Does Cecilia end up with Sigbjørn?
Time goes by, and it turns out that Cecilia doesn’t leave Alfred’s side. Certainly, they don’t share the same love anymore, but their family has grown.
On Alfred’s birthday, Sigbjørn returns to reunite with his best friend. Cecilia heads to the kitchen to avoid the sheer awkwardness. The two best friends catch up. The only takeaway is that, unlike before, they don’t get along; they are not able to meet each other’s eyes.
The silence between them allows Sigbjørn to figure out that Alfred knows what happened when he was away. Sigbjørn voluntarily leaves while Cecilia watches him go from the kitchen. They both give each other a look from the window before Sigbjørn turns away.
The war left a mark on their relationships. They all survived, but the touch they had with each other was lost.
Also Read: War Sailor review: A gut-wrenching slow burn
