“The Mayor told me that there had been some problems at the University…” Pascal said.
“Yes, there were…” said Manami, while putting a cup of tea on the table.
“And that you proposed at the time…”
“Pete’… doggy,” Eir placed a toy dog on Peter’s tablet.
“I can’t study because of you!”
“Forgive me, Peter,” said Pascal. “It’s my fault. I won’t speak any more.”
“Peter!” Manami shouted. “What is that behavior?!”
“Mom, I really can’t study!”
“Of course you can’t! But we too cannot be silent all day because of that! Mr. Alexander explained the new lessons to you. Now go to your room and study. When you learn it, come and he will test you.”
“But mom, it’s nice here.”
“And where did you study at home? You studied in your room, Peter. The sooner you learn it, the sooner you will be able to join us and talk with us. Come on now, go to your room.”
Peter reluctantly got up off the couch.”
“And Eir? She might fall from here…” he said.
“Sir, I have to clean up the kitchen. Please take Eir,” Manami said.
Peter went to his room. Pascal took Eir in his arms and walked around the living room. He finally went into the kitchen and stood next to Manami.
“Eir is exactly like her mom,” he said quietly.
Manami turned and kissed her daughter’s arm. “Eir has a soul like a fine string,” she said.
“Like you… like yours, ma’am.”
Manami looked away.
“Eir is an unusually calm child,” Pascal continued.
“She is calm… yes,” Manami looked at him. “But not as calm as she is now. I think, it seems to me… that Eir, in her own way, feels the atmosphere. That she understands. That is why I said that she has a soul like a fine string. The smallest breeze will play a tone on it. It is because of Eir that it is important that Julius doesn’t tell us anything. I might be able to hide my pain from Peter, but not from Eir. Regardless of how strange it might sound.”
“It doesn’t sound strange, ma’am.”
“You say that Eir is like me. And not only in appearance.”
“Yes.”
“I wish for my little girl to experience everything that her mother did. But on time. That she doesn’t inflict pain on anyone because of it.”
“You are not inflicting me any pain, ma’am. There is no room for it. There isn’t any room for anything else, ma’am,” Pascal whispered.
“I wasn’t thinking of you, sir.”
YOU ARE READING
The Grasshopper
Science FictionImagine living in a world where Consumerism is the constitutional order, and where the Inspectorate is in charge of destroying goods whose season has passed, so as to maintain the Balance. In this world you can survive only if you work and buy goods...
