“So what don’t I understand?” wondered Pascal, while sitting at the dining room table, with his back turned towards the kitchen.
“Pascal,” said Eir. The little girl raised her head, while sitting in his lap, offering him a doll that she had just put a dress on.
“Yes, Eir?” asked Pascal, accepting the doll. “Well that is a very pretty dress. Now put this one on her,” Pascal pointed at a floral dress. “So we can see which one is prettier.”
“Oki,” said Eir and took the doll from Pascal.
Pascal’s eyes went back to the white sheet which had been covering the couch for the past two weeks. “How long will I stare at that sheet? What am I waiting for? A fairy godmother to turn it into our cover? To turn this room into ours? I have nothing to wait for. Nothing to hope for. I have experienced the pinnacle of my life. My five minutes are passed. They’re passed, Pascal!” he shouted at himself. “Accept it. It’s over, finished, caput, no more, the end!”
“…my husband doing now?” he heard Manami behind him. “He’s been gone for days. He’ll defeat Erivan. If you can say that anyone is truly exceptional, then it’s my husband.”
“There, Pascal. Did you hear that? You did, you did. That’s all you hear. That’s all you listen to all day long. ‘My husband, my husband!’ Your Mrs. Seneca has made up her mind. That night, your only night, Pascal, she sat next to you in her nightgown and she saw that you’re nothing special. That she doesn’t need that. You probably stumbled upon her during a small marriage crisis. The young woman, whose husband is never at home, longed for a little attention, a little adventure, a break from monotony. And she slipped into her nightgown, put her head on your shoulder and that was it. For such a conservatively raised woman that was more than enough. She ended her adventure and went back to her family. After that she ‘accidently’ spilled tea on your cover and she said that she had to wash it. And she still hasn’t washed it. And she will never wash it. Regardless of how much you stare at that sheet.”
“There, I’m done in the kitchen,” said Manami, taking Eir from Pascal. “The two of us are off to our quarters. Thank you very much, sir, for looking after her,” said Manami, without looking at him.
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...
