Peter Stamm - In Strange Gardens and Other Stories

Eric’s wife called him for supper. He turned over the thin sheet of letter paper, and read on. There was, he read, one cure for Elza’s cancer. A Swiss professor had developed it, a completely new drug that was still undergoing clinical trials. But its results so far on a sample group of patients had been encouraging. In such cases as Elza’s a cure was not impossible. At least there was a chance that she might have a few more years to live. Years in which some even more successful therapy might be discovered.

Eric’s wife called him again, and he went into the dining room with the letter in his hand. The treatment was expensive, wrote Valdis, quite impossible for someone from his country, for himself, and not cheap even for a Swiss. He had — at this point the writing got smaller, not least because Valdis had reached the bottom of the page — he had never in his life asked anyone for anything. He and his wife had been through some lean times together, without complaining. Nor did they have anything to complain about, really, because they had always been together, and they loved each other. But now he was turning to Eric for help. You asked me once whether you could do anything for me , he wrote, well, now you can do everything .

Eric put the letter aside, and sat down. His wife asked who the letter was from, and he told her.

“Is that the man with the beautiful wife?”

“She’s sick. She’s got cancer.”

Eric’s wife sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Eric didn’t tell her of Valdis’s appeal to him. He could imagine what she would say.

“They have two kids,” he said.

Valdis had told Eric the name of the professor who had pioneered the new form of therapy, and suggested he get in touch with him directly if he had questions. Eric called the professor. He briefly explained the therapy, and talked about the promising results he had obtained with it thus far. He said, yes, he had heard of the case of the wife of Eric’s friend. Valdis wasn’t really a friend as such, Eric said, it was more that they had professional dealings with one another. Anyway, he was familiar with the case, the professor said again, he had studied in Freiburg with the woman’s own specialist. He said the treatment cost something in the order of a hundred thousand francs. And he could not positively guarantee a successful outcome.

“We’re talking maybe thirty percent,” he said, “at most. I’ve heard she’s an exceptionally beautiful woman.”

Thirty percent, thought Eric. Valdis had talked of “encouraging results.” To raise a hundred thousand, Eric would have had to sell stock. And it was certain that Valdis would never be in a position to repay him. He hadn’t spoken in terms of a loan either. He just wanted the money. Which was understandable, in his position.

Eric sent Valdis an E-mail. He wrote that the best thing would be for them to discuss the matter together, and that they would be seeing each other in two weeks in any case. That was the last he heard, until he called Valdis a week before his departure to phone through his arrival time, and Valdis didn’t refer to Elza’s illness, just said Eric should try to extend his visit to take in the jubilee celebrations.

Nor did Valdis speak of his wife as they drove from the airport to the company headquarters, and Eric didn’t want to be the one to broach the subject either. He praised Valdis’s work, and said really he had no reason to come, as everything there was always so shipshape. Valdis said that would be a pity, because where else would Eric get to drink balzams and eat schaschlik.

Eric had reckoned on three days of work. On Saturday he wanted to make a tour of the city, and he had booked his return flight for noon on Sunday. It was not until his arrival that he learned that Friday had been made a holiday, on account of the anniversary celebrations. But if Eric liked, said Valdis, then he would come to the office anyway. Then they would be undistracted, and could work quietly. Eric said they could probably get through it in two days anyway.

“I don’t mind,” said Valdis. “Then we can talk quietly instead.”

Eric had the sense that Valdis was working deliberately slowly. During their lunch break, he stayed sitting down for a long time, and Eric got angry. Valdis didn’t mention the situation with his wife, and Eric was certainly not going to bring it up. As in previous years they went out together; Valdis took Eric to an Italian restaurant that had recently opened, and that was supposed to be good. The food was fine but the wine was poor, and overpriced. Valdis knew nothing about wine, but he seemed to take Eric’s criticism personally. When they were finished, he made no move to pay the check, as he usually did. Even though Eric wouldn’t have allowed it anyway, he still felt annoyed with Valdis, and also because Valdis had persuaded him to drink more of that ghastly balzams, and because he had helped him into his coat after dinner.

Valdis was keen to go to a bar afterwards. “Here are the most beautiful women in the city,” he said. Young women who were happy to make the acquaintance of wealthy men from the West. The bar was near the cathedral. The décor was chrome and leather, and the music was so loud that there was no chance of a meaningful conversation. They stood by the bar, Valdis drinking balzams, Eric beer. There were a couple of blond women standing next to them. When Valdis spoke to them, Eric saw how drunk he was. Valdis put his arm round the waist of one of the women, and yelled something in her ear. She seemed not to understand, and raised her eyebrows and gave a puzzled smile. While speaking to the woman, Valdis nodded a couple of times in the direction of Eric. Her face darkened. She shook her head, took her friend by the arm, and pulled her away. Valdis tried to hold the two of them back, grabbed them round the waist, but they twisted out of his hold and disappeared into the crowd. Valdis put his mouth so close to Eric’s ear that he could feel his breath.

“Whores,” he called out.

Eric paid the check, and left the bar. Valdis came after him. While they walked to the hotel, Valdis said he could get Eric any woman he wanted. It was just a matter of money. Eric thought of Elza. He wondered if Valdis was faithful to her. And what about her? She could certainly have any man she wanted. Valdis staggered and grabbed hold of Eric’s arm, before finally pushing his arm through his. A hundred thousand, thought Eric, for a woman. “You’re drunk,” he said. “I don’t want a woman.”

Outside the hotel, he put Valdis in a taxi, asked him for the address, and gave the driver some money.

“Kiburgas iela 12,” said Valdis. “Third story, left-hand side.”

Before Eric closed the taxi door, he asked Valdis if he was okay. Valdis looked at him with moist eyes and said: “You are my friend.”

The following morning Eric was in the office early, and had already gotten through several items on the audit before Valdis arrived. Eric said if Valdis felt up to it, they might be able to finish the job today. Valdis seemed pretty monosyllabic, but he worked quickly and didn’t complain. He was pale and took a lot of bathroom breaks, and to judge by his face he probably had a headache. At lunchtime they sent out for sandwiches, and by late afternoon they had finished the audit.

Valdis asked what plans Eric had for the evening. Valdis looked as though he’d do better to go home, said Eric. He was pretty tired himself and would just have a snack at the hotel, and maybe go to the movies. Valdis nodded and asked whether they would see each other the next day. Eric said he would call him.

“I must show you the city,” said Valdis. “And the celebrations. Eight hundred years is a long time.”

Valdis called while Eric was at breakfast. The woman at reception gave him a note with the number on it, and said the gentleman had asked to be called back. Eric went out on the street, and wandered through the Old Town, which he had seen only at night thus far. At about noon, he returned to the hotel and called Valdis. It was Elza who picked up. She said her husband had been waiting for Eric to call, but half an hour ago he had taken the children into town. He had said he wanted to see something of the celebrations. The symphony orchestra was playing in the cathedral square.