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E-Books (english-e-reader), Two Sisters (2)

Two Sisters (2)

'No. But she is all I have. And she has been very good to me.'

'Well, it's her duty. A sister's duty.'

'Then it's my duty, a sister's duty, to tell her about something like this. I may get into trouble.'

'Don't be silly,' he said. 'I normally take good care of my girlfriends.'

'I see,' she said, and for the first time in the one month since she agreed to be this man's lover, the tears which suddenly rose into her eyes came there naturally.

'And you promised you wouldn't tell her.' It was Father's voice now.

'Don't be angry. After all, she was sure to hear it one day.'

'My darling, you are too wise. What did she say?'

'She wasn't happy.'

'Don't worry. Find out something she wants very much but cannot get in this country.'

'I know for sure she wants an electric motor for her sewing machine.'

'Mm. I am going to London next week on government business, so if you bring me the details of the machine, I shall get her the motor.'

'Thank you.'

'Oh, and let me know as soon as you want to leave your sister's place. I have got you one of the government houses.'

'Oh... oh,' she said, pleased for the first time since this awful day had begun.

Down on the beach, the old Sea slides up and down the sands. He takes no notice of humans. He has seen things happen along these beaches. Different things. The same things. He never does anything about them. Why should he? People are unimportant. Here is a fifty-year-old 'big man' who thinks he is somebody. And a twenty-three-year-old child who chooses a silly way to fight life's problems. As they play with each other's bodies on the back seat of the car, the old Sea shuts his eyes, bored. He moves further up the sands, but the car is parked safely away from the sea, and the rising water cannot reach its tyres.

James has come home late. But then he has been coming back late for the past few weeks. Connie is crying and he knows it as soon as he enters the bedroom. He hates tears, because, like many men, he knows they are one of the strongest weapons that women have.

'James.'

'Oh, are you still awake?' He quickly sits beside her. 'Connie, what's the matter? You've been crying again.'

'James, where were you?'

'Connie, I have warned you about this. I won't let you question me like a prisoner every time I am a little late.'

She sat up. 'A little late! It is nearly two o'clock.'

'Anyway, you won't believe me if I tell you the truth.'

She lies down again and turns her face to the wall, and James throws himself down beside her.

'James, there is something much more serious.'

'You have heard about my newest affair?'

'Yes, but that is not what I am talking about.'

'Jesus, is it possible that there is anything more important than that?'

And as they laugh, they know that something has happened. One of those things which, with luck, will keep them together for some time to come.

'But James, what shall I do?'

'About what?'

'Mercy. She is having an affair with Mensar-Arthur.'

'Wonderful.'

'James, we must do something about it. It's very serious.'

'Why shouldn't she?'

'But it is wrong. And she is ruining herself.'

'Since every other girl she knows has ruined herself and made money out of it, why shouldn't she? Her friends don't earn any more than she does, but every day they wear new dresses, shoes, and so on, to work. What do you expect her to do?'

'The fact that other girls do it doesn't mean that Mercy should do it too.'

'You're being very silly. If I were Mercy, I am sure that's exactly what I would do. And you know I mean it, too.' James is cruel. Terrible. Mean. Connie breaks into fresh tears, and James puts his arm around her. There is one thing he must make her understand, though.

'In fact, tell her to stay with him. He may be able to speak to someone in your government office so that after the baby is born you can keep your job there.'

'James, you want me to use my sister!'

'She is using herself, remember.'

'James, you are terrible.'

'And maybe he would even agree to get us a new car from abroad. I shall pay for everything, but that would be better than that old car I was thinking about. Think of that.'

'You will ride in it alone.'

'Well...'

That was a few months before the coup. Mensar-Arthur did go to London and bought something for all his wives and girlfriends. He even remembered the motor for Connie's machine. When Mercy took it to her, she was quite confused. She had wanted this thing for a long time, and yet one side of her said that accepting it was wrong. She could not discuss the whole business with Mercy, and James always took Mercy's side. She took the motor with thanks; the price she paid was her silence about Mercy. In a short while, Mercy left the house to go and live in the government house that Mensar-Arthur had managed to get for her.

Then, a couple of weeks later, the coup. Mercy left her new place before anybody could throw her out. James never got his car. Connie's new baby was born. Of the three, Connie was happiest with these changes. In her eyes, Mensar-Arthur and everything that went with him meant trouble for her sister and for her own feelings too. Now things could return to normal. Mercy would move back to the house, perhaps find a man who was more - ordinary, let's say. Then she would get married and these terrible times would be forgotten. God is good, he brought the coup before her sister's affair became widely known and ruined her name...

The arrival of the new baby has ended all the difficulties between James and Connie. He is that kind of man, and she that kind of woman. Mercy has not been seen for many days. Connie is beginning to get worried...

James heard the baby's loud cries the moment he opened the front gate. He ran in, holding the few things he had bought on his way home.

'We are in here,' called Connie.

'I certainly could hear you. If there is anything people in this country have, it is a big mouth.'

'Don't I agree? But we're well. He's eating normally and everything. You?'

'Nothing new. More stories about the ex-politicians.'

'What do you mean, nothing new?' said Connie. 'Look at the excellent job the soldiers have done, cleaning up the country of all that dirt. I feel free already and I can't wait to get out and enjoy it.'

James laughed bitterly. 'All I know is that Mensar-Arthur is in prison. No use. And I'm not getting my car.'

'I never took you seriously on that car business.'

'Honestly, Connie, don't you want me, your husband, to be successful and get rich?'

'Not out of my sister's ruin.'

'Ruin, ruin, ruin! Christ! See, Connie, the funny thing is that I am sure you are the only person who thought it was a disaster to have a sister who was the girlfriend of a big man.'

'Okay; now all is over, and don't let's argue about it.' 'Was it you who arranged the coup, I wonder? Just because of your sister? It wouldn't surprise me.'

And Connie wondered why he said that with so much bitterness. She wondered if...

'Has Mercy been here?' asked James.

'Not yet, later, maybe. Mm. I had hoped she would move back here and start all over again.'

'I am not surprised she hasn't. In fact, if I were her, I wouldn't come back here either. Not to listen to endless good advice from big sister, no thank you.'

'Mercy is my only sister. I can't sit and see her life going wrong without feeling it. I'm grateful that something put a stop to that. What worries me now is that she won't tell me where she's living. She talks about a girlfriend but I'm not sure that I know her.'

'If I were you, I would stop worrying because it seems Mercy can take care of herself quite well,' said James.

Then there was the sound of a car stopping outside the house. Ah, but the footsteps were unmistakably Mercy's. Are those shoes the old pair which were new a couple of months ago? Or are they the newest pair? And here she is herself, the pretty one. A happy, smiling Mercy.

'Hello, hello, my people!' And she goes straight to the baby. 'Dow-dah-dee-day! How's my dear young man today? Grow up fast and come to take care of Auntie Mercy.'

Both Connie and James cannot take their eyes off her. Connie says, 'He says to Auntie Mercy he is fine.'

Still they watch her, horrified, and wondering what it's all about. Because they both know it is about something.

'Listen, people, I brought a friend to meet you. A man.'

'Where is he?' from James.

'Bring him in,' from Connie.

'You know, Sissie, you are a new mother. I thought I'd come and ask you if it's all right.'

'Of course,' say James and Connie, and for some reason they are both afraid of what is coming.

'He is Captain Ashley.'

'Which one?'

'How many do you know?'

James still thinks it is impossible. 'Eh... do you mean the army officer who has just been given the job of... of...'

'Yes.'

'Wasn't there a picture in The Crystal over the weekend of his daughter's wedding? And another one of him with his wife and children and grandchildren?' said James.

'Yes,' said Mercy.

Connie just sits there with her mouth open that wide...

- THE END -

Two Sisters (2) Zwei Schwestern (2) Dos hermanas (2) Deux sœurs (2) 二人の姉妹 (2) 두 자매 (2) Dwie Siostry (2) Duas Irmãs (2) Дві сестри (2) 兩姊妹 (2)

'No. But she is all I have. And she has been very good to me.'

'Well, it's her duty. A sister's duty.'

'Then it's my duty, a sister's duty, to tell her about something like this. I may get into trouble.'

'Don't be silly,' he said. 'I normally take good care of my girlfriends.'

'I see,' she said, and for the first time in the one month since she agreed to be this man's lover, the tears which suddenly rose into her eyes came there naturally. Je vois", dit-elle, et pour la première fois depuis un mois qu'elle a accepté d'être l'amante de cet homme, les larmes qui montent soudain à ses yeux y viennent naturellement.

'And you promised you wouldn't tell her.' Et tu as promis de ne pas lui dire. Obiecałeś, że jej nie powiesz. It was Father's voice now. C'était la voix de Père.

'Don't be angry. After all, she was sure to hear it one day.' Koneckonců, jednoho dne to určitě uslyší. Après tout, elle était sûre de l'entendre un jour".

'My darling, you are too wise. "Miláčku, jsi příliš moudrý. What did she say?' Co říkala?

'She wasn't happy.'

'Don't worry. Find out something she wants very much but cannot get in this country.' Découvrez quelque chose qu'elle désire ardemment mais qu'elle ne peut pas obtenir dans ce pays".

'I know for sure she wants an electric motor for her sewing machine.'

'Mm. I am going to London next week on government business, so if you bring me the details of the machine, I shall get her the motor.'

'Thank you.'

'Oh, and let me know as soon as you want to leave your sister's place. I have got you one of the government houses.'

'Oh... oh,' she said, pleased for the first time since this awful day had begun. "Ach... ach," řekla a poprvé od začátku tohoto strašného dne se zaradovala.

Down on the beach, the old Sea slides up and down the sands. He takes no notice of humans. Lidí si nevšímá. He has seen things happen along these beaches. Na těchto plážích viděl, co se děje. Different things. The same things. He never does anything about them. Nikdy s nimi nic nedělá. Why should he? Proč by měl? People are unimportant. Here is a fifty-year-old 'big man' who thinks he is somebody. Tady je padesátiletý "velký muž", který si myslí, že je někdo. And a twenty-three-year-old child who chooses a silly way to fight life's problems. Et un enfant de vingt-trois ans qui choisit une façon idiote de lutter contre les problèmes de la vie. As they play with each other's bodies on the back seat of the car, the old Sea shuts his eyes, bored. Zatímco si na zadním sedadle auta hrají s těly toho druhého, starý Sea znuděně zavírá oči. Während sie auf dem Rücksitz des Wagens mit dem Körper des anderen spielen, schließt der alte See gelangweilt die Augen. Alors qu'ils jouent avec leurs corps respectifs sur la banquette arrière de la voiture, le vieux Sea ferme les yeux, ennuyé. He moves further up the sands, but the car is parked safely away from the sea, and the rising water cannot reach its tyres. Er fährt weiter den Sand hinauf, aber das Auto ist sicher vom Meer entfernt geparkt, und das steigende Wasser kann seine Reifen nicht erreichen. Il avance sur le sable, mais la voiture est garée en toute sécurité loin de la mer, et l'eau qui monte ne peut pas atteindre les pneus.

James has come home late. James ist spät nach Hause gekommen. But then he has been coming back late for the past few weeks. Aber in den letzten Wochen ist er immer wieder zu spät gekommen. Mais depuis quelques semaines, il revient en retard. Connie is crying and he knows it as soon as he enters the bedroom. Connie pláče a on to pozná, jakmile vstoupí do ložnice. Connie weint und er weiß es, sobald er das Schlafzimmer betritt. Connie pleure et il le sait dès qu'il entre dans la chambre. He hates tears, because, like many men, he knows they are one of the strongest weapons that women have.

'James.'

'Oh, are you still awake?' "Jsi ještě vzhůru? He quickly sits beside her. Il s'assoit rapidement à côté d'elle. 'Connie, what's the matter? You've been crying again.' Už zase pláčeš.

'James, where were you?'

'Connie, I have warned you about this. "Connie, varoval jsem tě před tím. I won't let you question me like a prisoner every time I am a little late.' Nenechám se vyslýchat jako vězeň pokaždé, když se trochu opozdím.

She sat up. 'A little late! It is nearly two o'clock.'

'Anyway, you won't believe me if I tell you the truth.'

She lies down again and turns her face to the wall, and James throws himself down beside her. Znovu si lehne a otočí se tváří ke zdi a James se vrhne vedle ní. Elle s'allonge à nouveau et tourne son visage vers le mur, et James se jette à ses côtés.

'James, there is something much more serious.'

'You have heard about my newest affair?'

'Yes, but that is not what I am talking about.'

'Jesus, is it possible that there is anything more important than that?'

And as they laugh, they know that something has happened. A když se smějí, vědí, že se něco stalo. Und während sie lachen, wissen sie, dass etwas passiert ist. One of those things which, with luck, will keep them together for some time to come. Jedna z těch věcí, které je s trochou štěstí ještě nějakou dobu udrží pohromadě. Das ist eines der Dinge, die sie mit etwas Glück noch einige Zeit zusammenhalten werden.

'But James, what shall I do?'

'About what?'

'Mercy. She is having an affair with Mensar-Arthur.' Má poměr s Mensarem-Arturem.

'Wonderful.'

'James, we must do something about it. It's very serious.'

'Why shouldn't she?' "Proč by neměla?

'But it is wrong. And she is ruining herself.' A ničí se.

'Since every other girl she knows has ruined herself and made money out of it, why shouldn't she? "Když se každá jiná holka, kterou zná, zničila a vydělala na tom, proč by nemohla ona? Her friends don't earn any more than she does, but every day they wear new dresses, shoes, and so on, to work. Její kamarádky nevydělávají o nic víc než ona, ale každý den chodí do práce v nových šatech, botách a podobně. Ses amies ne gagnent pas plus qu'elle, mais elles portent chaque jour de nouvelles robes, chaussures, etc. pour aller travailler. What do you expect her to do?'

'The fact that other girls do it doesn't mean that Mercy should do it too.' Le fait que d'autres filles le fassent ne signifie pas que Mercy doive le faire aussi.

'You're being very silly. Vous êtes très bête. If I were Mercy, I am sure that's exactly what I would do. Kdybych byl Mercy, určitě bych udělal přesně to. And you know I mean it, too.' James is cruel. James je krutý. Terrible. Mean. Průměr. Connie breaks into fresh tears, and James puts his arm around her. Connie se rozpláče a James ji obejme. Connie fond en larmes et James l'entoure de son bras. There is one thing he must make her understand, though. Il y a cependant une chose qu'il doit lui faire comprendre.

'In fact, tell her to stay with him. He may be able to speak to someone in your government office so that after the baby is born you can keep your job there.' Il pourra peut-être parler à quelqu'un de votre bureau gouvernemental afin que vous puissiez conserver votre emploi après la naissance de l'enfant.

'James, you want me to use my sister!'

'She is using herself, remember.'

'James, you are terrible.'

'And maybe he would even agree to get us a new car from abroad. "A možná by dokonce souhlasil s tím, že nám pořídí nové auto ze zahraničí. Und vielleicht würde er sogar zustimmen, uns ein neues Auto aus dem Ausland zu besorgen. I shall pay for everything, but that would be better than that old car I was thinking about. Think of that.'

'You will ride in it alone.' "Pojedeš v něm sám.

'Well...'

That was a few months before the coup. To bylo několik měsíců před převratem. C'était quelques mois avant le coup d'État. Mensar-Arthur did go to London and bought something for all his wives and girlfriends. Mensar-Arthur skutečně odjel do Londýna a koupil něco pro všechny své ženy a přítelkyně. He even remembered the motor for Connie's machine. When Mercy took it to her, she was quite confused. Když jí ho Mercy vzala, byla dost zmatená. She had wanted this thing for a long time, and yet one side of her said that accepting it was wrong. Po téhle věci toužila už dlouho, ale jedna její stránka jí říkala, že přijmout ji je špatné. She could not discuss the whole business with Mercy, and James always took Mercy's side. Nemohla s Mercy o celé záležitosti mluvit a James se vždy postavil na Mercyinu stranu. Elle ne pouvait pas discuter de toute l'affaire avec Mercy, et James prenait toujours le parti de Mercy. She took the motor with thanks; the price she paid was her silence about Mercy. Motor přijala s díky; cenou, kterou za to zaplatila, bylo její mlčení o Mercy. In a short while, Mercy left the house to go and live in the government house that Mensar-Arthur had managed to get for her. Za chvíli Mercy opustila dům a odešla bydlet do vládního domu, který pro ni Mensar-Arthur sehnal.

Then, a couple of weeks later, the coup. Mercy left her new place before anybody could throw her out. Mercy opustila své nové bydliště dřív, než ji někdo stačil vyhodit. Mercy a quitté son nouvel appartement avant que quelqu'un puisse la mettre à la porte. James never got his car. Connie's new baby was born. Connies neues Baby wurde geboren. Of the three, Connie was happiest with these changes. Connie byla s těmito změnami ze všech tří nejspokojenější. Von den dreien war Connie mit diesen Veränderungen am zufriedensten. In her eyes, Mensar-Arthur and everything that went with him meant trouble for her sister and for her own feelings too. V jejích očích znamenal Mensar-Arthur a vše, co s ním souviselo, potíže pro její sestru a také pro její vlastní city. In ihren Augen bedeutete Mensar-Arthur und alles, was mit ihm zusammenhing, Ärger für ihre Schwester und auch für ihre eigenen Gefühle. Pour elle, Mensar-Arthur et tout ce qui l'accompagne sont synonymes d'ennuis pour sa sœur et pour ses propres sentiments. Now things could return to normal. Mercy would move back to the house, perhaps find a man who was more - ordinary, let's say. Mercy by se vrátila do domu a možná by si našla muže, který by byl - řekněme - obyčejnější. Mercy würde zurück ins Haus ziehen, vielleicht einen Mann finden, der - sagen wir mal - normaler ist. Then she would get married and these terrible times would be forgotten. Dann würde sie heiraten und diese schrecklichen Zeiten wären vergessen. God is good, he brought the coup before her sister's affair became widely known and ruined her name... Bůh je dobrý, provedl převrat dřív, než se aféra její sestry stala všeobecně známou a zničila její jméno... Gott ist gut, er hat den Staatsstreich herbeigeführt, bevor die Affäre ihrer Schwester allgemein bekannt wurde und ihren Namen ruinierte...

The arrival of the new baby has ended all the difficulties between James and Connie. Příchodem dítěte skončily všechny potíže mezi Jamesem a Connie. Die Ankunft des neuen Babys hat alle Schwierigkeiten zwischen James und Connie beendet. He is that kind of man, and she that kind of woman. Mercy has not been seen for many days. Connie is beginning to get worried...

James heard the baby's loud cries the moment he opened the front gate. He ran in, holding the few things he had bought on his way home. Vběhl dovnitř a v ruce držel pár věcí, které si cestou domů koupil. Il est entré en courant, tenant les quelques affaires qu'il avait achetées en rentrant chez lui.

'We are in here,' called Connie.

'I certainly could hear you. If there is anything people in this country have, it is a big mouth.' Jestli lidé v této zemi něco mají, pak je to velká huba. S'il y a bien quelque chose que les gens ont dans ce pays, c'est une grande gueule".

'Don't I agree? But we're well. He's eating normally and everything. You?'

'Nothing new. More stories about the ex-politicians.'

'What do you mean, nothing new?' "Jak to myslíš, nic nového? said Connie. 'Look at the excellent job the soldiers have done, cleaning up the country of all that dirt. Regardez l'excellent travail des soldats, qui ont nettoyé le pays de toute cette saleté. I feel free already and I can't wait to get out and enjoy it.'

James laughed bitterly. James rit amèrement. 'All I know is that Mensar-Arthur is in prison. No use. Pas d'utilisation. And I'm not getting my car.'

'I never took you seriously on that car business.' Ich habe dich nie ernst genommen, was die Autos angeht.

'Honestly, Connie, don't you want me, your husband, to be successful and get rich?' Ganz ehrlich, Connie, willst du nicht, dass ich, dein Mann, Erfolg habe und reich werde?

'Not out of my sister's ruin.' "Ne ze zkázy mé sestry.

'Ruin, ruin, ruin! Christ! See, Connie, the funny thing is that I am sure you are the only person who thought it was a disaster to have a sister who was the girlfriend of a big man.' Víš, Connie, vtipné je, že jsem si jistá, že jsi jediná, kdo si myslí, že mít sestru, která je přítelkyní velkého muže, je katastrofa.

'Okay; now all is over, and don't let's argue about it.' 'Was it you who arranged the coup, I wonder? "Byl jsi to ty, kdo ten převrat zorganizoval? Je me demande si c'est vous qui avez organisé le coup d'État. Just because of your sister? Jen kvůli tvé sestře? It wouldn't surprise me.'

And Connie wondered why he said that with so much bitterness. A Connie se divila, proč to říká s takovou hořkostí. Et Connie se demanda pourquoi il disait cela avec tant d'amertume. She wondered if...

'Has Mercy been here?' "Byla tu Mercy? Mercy est-elle venue ici ? asked James. demande James.

'Not yet, later, maybe. Pas encore, plus tard, peut-être. Mm. I had hoped she would move back here and start all over again.' Doufal jsem, že se sem vrátí a začne znovu.

'I am not surprised she hasn't. In fact, if I were her, I wouldn't come back here either. Na jejím místě bych se sem už nevrátil. Not to listen to endless good advice from big sister, no thank you.' Ne poslouchat nekonečné dobré rady od starší sestry, ne, děkuji. Ne pas écouter les bons conseils sans fin de la grande sœur, non merci".

'Mercy is my only sister. I can't sit and see her life going wrong without feeling it. I'm grateful that something put a stop to that. Jsem vděčný, že tomu něco učinilo přítrž. What worries me now is that she won't tell me where she's living. Teď mi dělá starosti, že mi nechce říct, kde bydlí. She talks about a girlfriend but I'm not sure that I know her.'

'If I were you, I would stop worrying because it seems Mercy can take care of herself quite well,' said James. "Být tebou, přestal bych si dělat starosti, protože se zdá, že Mercy se o sebe umí postarat docela dobře," řekl James.

Then there was the sound of a car stopping outside the house. Pak se ozval zvuk auta, které zastavilo před domem. Ah, but the footsteps were unmistakably Mercy's. Ah, mais les pas étaient indubitablement ceux de Mercy. Are those shoes the old pair which were new a couple of months ago? Jsou to ty staré boty, které byly před pár měsíci nové? Or are they the newest pair? Nebo je to nejnovější pár? And here she is herself, the pretty one. A tady je ona sama, ta krásná. A happy, smiling Mercy.

'Hello, hello, my people!' And she goes straight to the baby. A jde rovnou za dítětem. 'Dow-dah-dee-day! "Dow-dah-dee-day! Dow-dah-dee-day ! How's my dear young man today? Grow up fast and come to take care of Auntie Mercy.' Rychle dospěj a přijď se postarat o tetu Mercy.

Both Connie and James cannot take their eyes off her. Connie i James z ní nemohou spustit oči. Connie says, 'He says to Auntie Mercy he is fine.' Connie říká: "Říká tetě Mercy, že je mu dobře.

Still they watch her, horrified, and wondering what it's all about. Stále ji zděšeně pozorují a přemýšlejí, co to má znamenat. Because they both know it is about something.

'Listen, people, I brought a friend to meet you. Écoutez, j'ai amené un ami pour vous rencontrer. A man.'

'Where is he?' from James.

'Bring him in,' from Connie. Connie a dit : "Faites-le entrer".

'You know, Sissie, you are a new mother. I thought I'd come and ask you if it's all right.' Napadlo mě, že se tě přijdu zeptat, jestli je to v pořádku.

'Of course,' say James and Connie, and for some reason they are both afraid of what is coming. "Samozřejmě," řeknou James a Connie a z nějakého důvodu se oba bojí toho, co přijde.

'He is Captain Ashley.' C'est le capitaine Ashley.

'Which one?'

'How many do you know?'

James still thinks it is impossible. 'Eh... do you mean the army officer who has just been given the job of... of...' "Eh... myslíte toho armádního důstojníka, který právě dostal úkol... z... Eh... vous voulez dire l'officier de l'armée qui vient d'être chargé de... de...

'Yes.'

'Wasn't there a picture in The Crystal over the weekend of his daughter's wedding? "Nebyla o víkendu v The Crystal fotka ze svatby jeho dcery? N'y avait-il pas dans The Crystal, ce week-end, une photo du mariage de sa fille ? And another one of him with his wife and children and grandchildren?' said James.

'Yes,' said Mercy.

Connie just sits there with her mouth open that wide... Connie tam jen sedí s pusou otevřenou dokořán...

- THE END -