Arnon Grunberg - Tirza

The children were initially mainly an idea of his wife. One morning at breakfast, that it now appears as a breakfast in a different life, it would have said: 'We get a child.'

'How can that?' he had asked.

And she had replied: 'I have stopped taking the pill.'

'a child,' he said. "God, there are not enough on this world? And you know for sure that it was a healthy child is?'

But they only had said: 'If i had to wait on you, there it was never did.'

A morning long he was in the war of the idea, until it after lunch decided to accept the duty. He waited until the five hours and peddled my way to then was the bank, where he is a life insurance concluded without his wife to say something. It had to be a surprise, the money that would be released if he came unexpectedly to death.

This was a ship's steward father become Jörgen as a man of paternity not more clear and also not wanted to know more than that it was wise a life insurance before the child made its appearance in this world.

When Ibi once was born, changed the duty of nature. The first months was Ibi between mother and father in, although in her bedroom neatly a cot. But they slept better in the large bed, safe between the two parents in.

And when she was two, slept they still, which Rittes im Bunde. Sometimes he made his wife woke up to assign her to Ibi. 'Look," he said, 'look, how quiet it is to sleep.'

And then came Tirza. The wife had said: 'If we have one, there is still a second at.' ship's steward had kinked and a few months later he went back to the bank in order to increase the life insurance.

He picks up another shirt from the cabinet and keep it up to the light to see if there are spots in remain tight, but he likes the color not. He would like to be cared for and distinguished appearance. For the teachers who will be the friends of Tirza Tirza, for itself. Yellow is not distinguished.

Three teachers called him after the failure of the runaway wife, the teacher Mathematics, German and Dutch. They had heard it, something not stop, hold down and they spoke to him to encouraging, they knew the phenomenon, sometimes from his own experience, and they loved it how Tirza did it under these difficult conditions, yes, about Tirza he did not to worry. Mrs Excavating, the Dutch which also Tirza Teacher's classes teacher was, early: 'you might want to come to talk about them, also in connection with Tirza? You will find that pleasant?'

'Oh no,' he had replied, 'dat is not necessary. And pleasant, it is not.'

He found the pleasant that they called him, but about a missing wife was not too long in the public to be talk. That is why he continued to maintain that the drain of the wife completely according to plan expired. It even had encouraged. 'walk away you can not call it,' he said to the teacher Mathematics, 'it is more so that we have a time holiday of each other. I voted against its said: "Walking but road, you will turn back."'

If his favorite teachers do not arrive tonight, he will present them speak some other time or their write a note. To his feelings for them would do nothing to change that. From time to time he would think about. At least once a week, perhaps more frequently.

Feelings, it is a word which he also remains stationary if an attraction along the way. He depends shirts and tie back into the cabinet. A polo shirt is better.

'I had something new to buy,' says the wife. 'What do i need? The best I have taken on board. The best I've lost. And the rest fits me not more. Or is it just not.'

Ship's steward points to what they in her hand, a dress of which he is the existence cannot remember. Airy, but they like airy dressed. Also when the weather begging for such clothing.

'You're disinterested," she says. 'You see not how incredible from the fashion this is? How terribly dated this is? In addition, just can not. The grease…' she looks at him, helpless actually. Dismayed, about the changes that her body.

'Fat?' he asks. 'Which grease?'

They pretend to her owner is returned, he thinks. To have hope on liberation, you need to have the chain located. For some it is the chain of hope.

He wants to Tirza's room walk, but they hold it against.

'Jörgen," she says. 'They will find it not crazy that I am there again?'

'Who?'

'De guests.'

'De guests? Which does not grant you.'

'I mean. They will not ask the question: who is that? Who is that Mrs?'

'I think not. There are a lot of people. Then it is one more or less. In addition you are the parent of Tirza. Whichever way you look at it. You can also always say. When people ask: "What are you doing here?", you say: "I am Tirza's mother." It is a plausible reason for her party.'

She looks at him full of doubt, it is not convinced. And she has her clothes in her hands that are out of fashion. That makes it all worse. 'But I have come out.'

'Dat denies no one. But that people do not know more. That they are forgotten. They have a bad memory. There are so many people. On the Vossius they have concept for this type of cases. They had in any case concept for me.'

He smiles in the reminder. The teachers called him when his wife by went with a childhood love. He will never forget, how friendly they were, without a. Also called nobody, not for him at least.

Ibi they had on the Barlaeus done, but after joint experiences Tirza they decided on the Vossius to do so. In particular it was a ship's steward who had decided. He found Tirza very talented. Already when she was eleven months and its first steps. Five steps, no more, but nevertheless, it was allowed to walk are called. He told it to anyone who wanted to hear it. 'They may already walk, they luff.' above all is to parents with children in approximately the same age he told the study with interest, and he did not — he was overwhelmed by his enthusiasm — that he called irritation. The word 'luff' was matured him in the mouth. When she was a few months old he was in the evening minutes long, sometimes up to twenty minutes about Tirza curved, to look at how they slept. The arms spread out. Sometimes she smiled in her sleep. Even Tirza's mother was not understood exactly where he watching them. What he saw there. In the baby.

Ibi was moved to its own bed, now Tirza slept in between them. And if the wife there also was not or late came home, than slept in addition to her father's Tirza He was sometimes in a corner of the bed because Tirza tend to make had wide, but he didnt care. The bed was of her.

Gently, almost tenderly he slides the wife aside.

He sees that the door of her Tirza room has closed, he wants to do not disturb its, that is why he goes to below and check the kitchen. Everything is ready. Everything can be served and eaten. The color composition of the sushi and sashimi has the appearance of professionalism, something to evade the homely. As if it is prepared by a catering service. That is the way it looks.

Ship's steward leave nothing to chance. We must prepare themselves for what may go wrong. Who need an excuse, has not been adequately prepared for a possible fatal error.

In the garden he torches, four in total. Shortly, when twilight, they will lighting.

Jörgen ship's steward goes to the barn, set the mower, the shovel, the machine saw and what smaller tool aside. There is enough space for clubbers who have also to isolate to each other to give a discreet kisskiss. He leaves the barn and looks at the trees. In the garden of his parents in the Betuwe are also many trees, which he must maintain an only child now that they are no longer present. Fruit trees shall be pruned.

He walks slowly on the grass back to the house. He takes a deep breath, he is satisfied. It is a nice party. As Tirza wanted it. 'It is my last party in this House,' she had said, 'what that will I would like to give a big party. Do you think that is good, pap? Really a big party.'