Koholma is the island setting for a hurried departure by Gustav Mahler, Anna, and Elias. At its dock, preparations already made by Mahler turn the boat into their immediate means of leaving, while the need to take Elias with them makes even basic safety equipment uncertain.

Setting and Departure Preparations

At 12:30, Mahler is ready for the situation the group faces: the boat at the dock has been bailed out and fuelled. He lays Elias down in it, steps aboard, and takes the bags and cooler Anna hands over. The scene defines Koholma through a small, practical threshold between the island and departure, with supplies being transferred directly into the boat.

The Shed and the Life Jackets

Anna says they have no time and points out the need for life jackets. Mahler sees vests hanging on hooks in the shed, but also recognizes that Elias has outgrown his. The available equipment therefore does not neatly match the needs of the people leaving; urgency and care meet in a concrete problem that the passage leaves unresolved.