Arnon Grunberg - Tirza

'Meneer ship's steward,' said the architect while he gazed back to the table top. 'You understand something not. You want does not understand anything. With rent this has nothing to do with love has to do.'

Ship's steward rendered the plastic bag with the panties more firmly as if he was afraid that it would deprive him. The architect looked forward. He had set up his head.

It was a translucent bag. You could see what's in it.

'what you have done with my daughter,' said the father, 'dat is not a love. That is a punishable offense. That is the only what it is. That is the only thing that can be said about it. Love is never a punishable offense.'

He wanted to turn already, but the architect stood up. He came not to ship's steward, he was only.

The architect was a long man. Long and lean. Not unattractive but not personable. On the street he would at most noticeable because of its length.

'thinking you that I was the first?' asked the architect. 'thinking you know? Is that what you bothering? Let me help you out of a dream. I was perhaps the fourth or fifth. I did not dare to ask again the echo i was. Of me she has nothing to learn. Previously vice versa.' He snickered. At first it was a gentle smile, but it was becoming increasingly fierce., gegrinnik The reminder of Hofmeesters oldest daughter did the architect chuckle.

There was a ship's steward with the plastic bag in his left hand, he looked at the tall man, to the ridiculous wound on his forehead. The courage that that man uitstraalde, that so many people nowadays did lack luster, the assured, the lack of defeat suffered, the fact that they had any claim to everything and the idea that everything was for sale or rent, even his daughter, that he've despised. A non had him, when he was still on the secondary school, learned that humanity is a matter of nullity was. The better you do your own nullity see how more humane you. They knew no invalidity, the people, more they were their own nullity smooth forgotten. They were opposed to revolt, but it would be a high price to pay. Without nullity was not.

'It is not a question of whether you was the first,' said ship's steward, 'or the eighth. You was the oldest. This is what it is all about.'

The plastic bag creaked in his hand.

'took the initiative,' said the architect. 'I have against its said: "This is wisely? I have nothing to offer you." But they wanted to hear anything. They are there early today, Mr ship's steward. Increasingly earlier. Everything starts earlier and ends later. Your daughter is not from you. Do you think that. That hopes you. But it is not so. On a day you will still come back. They were looking for a listening ear. They are looking for someone to whom they could tell everything. At her home had made the obviously too busy with other things. Well, that is how it is. A. They are looking for — I am sorry that as its right in your face to say — they were looking for affection.'

The husband went down again. As if he had said what he had to say. As if he had participated in a conference and also had stood up to the speaker on a few points friendly but decided to correct it.

Ship's steward breathed in deeply. Take a deep breath was always a good way to unwind. But the deeper he inademde, the better the pain he felt his chest.

'How long has it been going on?' he asked eventually, when he was again a little air could obtain.

'a few weeks, a few months at most. God, I have not kept up to date, I have other things on my main than your daughter, Mr ship's steward.'

Ship's steward snoof if an injured beast.

When he nodded. He had nothing to ask for more. He knew everything. The architect had other things on his head.

He was still the same, pro forma actually. He wanted to see the money the man. He wanted to be there if the tenant are money, that is no longer was accepted in his pocket.

Because there is nothing happened, he said: 'Unzip the money.'

Also watched the tenant to the envelope when he pushed him toward him and set it with a slight smile in his pocket.

This event was completed. It was over. Ship's steward had done what he had to do so.

'I have to do with you,' said the architect.

'How do you mean?' ship's steward was already on the way out, but he turned around to.

'How do you mean?' he asked again.

'I sympathise with you. I would prefer an arm around you save. Because I understand you best. I would arm around you want to store and against you want to say that it is not so bad, that they on its feet. Ibi. It is young, personable, intelligent, horny, I am sorry that I must use that word, but that is also important for a woman in this time, and it is the more than anything else. And she knows, she knows damn well. Cunning is that they are also. No, it is not good with her. Surely you will also have seen? How horny she is, and how they need to play in order to fool us?'

Ship's steward listened to the catalog of good characteristics of his eldest daughter. And he smiled briefly internally, because he has had the feeling that he was doing to be insane.

'Met me?' asked ship's steward, when the list came to an end. I have 'you pity?'

'I am not the only one who thinks so. Others have me the idea. I am by others you will see otherwise. Not only as an intolerable house boss, but as a human person with weak spots, with a story, a history, someone you can understand. O, you say to yourself, so he does so. As is. And then you can live with it.'

The bag with Ibi's panties has always seemed to be heavier. As if there was iron in or a kilo of steaks. Ship's steward did only return again, away from the door, a pass in the direction of the table. The word 'horny' showed him still do not disconnect. As he had never been to his children.

'How do you mean?' he asked. 'You are not the only?'

'As I am doing.'

'what you say?'

'Dat others also sympathize with you.'

'Who? Who are the others? I would say that people know?'

'Your daughter for example. Ibi. It also has sympathy with you. They're ashamed not only for you, they also has sympathy with you. She has told me they came here really not only for the sex. They also wanted to talk to.'

If there is still a had been stalamp ship's steward the architect again on his head skipped. Hard and long.

There was no stalamp more. And he knew what he did. He mastered.

'You are trying to protect them,' said ship's steward, without knowing against whom he talked, 'as well as possible, because really protect them you can not but you try it, and then on a day they someone like you. So it goes. Obviously. And then you go back, you go back in time and you think: where i made the mistake, where i have overlooked something, what have I done that i could not do better? It is never in you raised, it is never in your main era, idea? That is a child? Have you never thought: she is a child? The child of my landlord?'

The architect shook his head. 'But it is not the child,' he said, 'they was long ago ceased to be children. She is less child than we do with two together. Do you know what they said to me? "Sex with boys of my age, that is always so inconvenient. And clumsy sex is bad sex." Yes, I also did not know what I heard. Clumsy sex is bad sex. Well, I found them not inconvenient.' The architect giggled.

Ship's steward stared at the man as to a pop in the haunted house that suddenly appears to be true, no wax that depends to deter people, no, against all expectations in a truly common. What ever live and was for some time now and not more.

'It is save,' said the architect, 'and i have its occasionally helped a little. Because it is its great dream. Or large dream, it is one of her dreams, I believe. She has a lot on such as that goes with people of that age.'

'On the savings, for what?' ship's steward asked the question mechanical, without thinking. His body he was still under control, but his voice not more.