Arnon Grunberg - Tirza

They rubs on the basis on which telephone numbers are written and then on her bare arm. Back and forth. To accelerate without, but also without.

'Ester,' he says with all the conviction that he can lay in his voice, 'within are very many people who you would want to gently with pleasure petting. Go to the living room, i imagine all kinds of fun people, but I think that everyone already knows. Go with me. Do not stay here. This is not a barn for you.'

'I prefer to do it themselves. Petting. I can do better itself.'

Also he remains motionless. He is in two fight. He must convince her, but he does not know how. He thinks it is irresponsible to its here to leave only. Completely irresponsible. If you are old you may find yourself caught up in the barn while the party in the living room brawl, not if you are young, then you get load of unwanted thoughts.

'Meneer ship's steward," she says, while they are still on her arm rubs, 'is you sometimes gently stroked?'

Without further to say something more about it the sanding. He calls this call to continue no longer. Enough is enough. He feels tempted to scream: 'Cheeky Monkey! Cheeky Monkey who you are!'

But if he is outside, he calls only: 'What do you actually drink? Will I get a glass of orange juice jug and now there is no tomato juice is that?'

'Sinaasappelsap is well,' calls on them. 'But without ice.'

Adjust with large he walks to the kitchen.

Ibi's generation was different. They should be close with Tirza, but nevertheless, such excesses can he of Ibi's girlfriends not remember. No fish food, yourself in a shed stroke gently, slim find yourself. Love is as much as he lethargy.

If he has pouring the orange juice in a glass of wine — other glass he can no longer find — he feels a hand on his shoulder.

He turns around.

'Tirza,' he says. 'Where were you? Where do you come from?'

She looks sweaty from. Something of its eyeshadow.

'I have hard cycled," she says. 'I heard you messages. When I cycled extra hard. It is a bit of fun, find the people like? They will find you sushi tasty, pap?'

She is sweaty, but she radiates. Its eyes rays.

He expresses its against located on and he understands, has not previously understood that so clearly, so overwhelming, so no-compromise, that he wants to have no reason to live without Tirza. Without her is life is no longer conceivable and what is not feasible, is undesirable. It is right to exist. What he presses against gives him at the same time the privilege and the duty to life. Without its voids the obligation, but also the right. He can hardly imagine how he lived when they were not being. Call Waiting, that was it. As he has lived all these years, waiting for Tirza. Though he knew that the Tirza not of course was to whom he waited.

'Pap," she says, "Press me not so nice. That may later. At the airport. You are always so hard safe. I would like you to someone proposals.'

She points to a person who has obviously been a time in the door opening of the kitchen has been.

A boy, perhaps a man. Ship's steward wealth him on twenty-three, twenty-four. Older than Tirza in each case. A fairly dark skin, a wide jaw, heavy eyebrows which he gives the impression surly to watch. Perhaps he looks also surly. Who knows?

'Pap,' says Tirza, 'it is Choukri, my boyfriend.'

Runs slow ship's steward to the opening of the door.

The few steps which he takes from the sink to the door opening to walk, everything he thinks of the devastating age. He is nearly dead. And what is the difference between nearly dead and completely dead? What details you have it, how many square millimeters territory who you have separate the enemy forces? Ship's steward seeks his hand. 'What was your?' he asks. But for the man can reply says: 'Choukri Tirza, dad. It is called Choukri. I have said.'

'Chou-kri,' reiterates slowly, and ship's steward it shakes the hand of the man. 'I am Jörgen ship's steward. Tirza's father.'

The man comes to him is known for. The longer he look at him, the more it with some trepidation that he has already seen.

'Dus you are…' says ship's steward, but because he does not know what he wants to go to say he pauses and the silence makes use by saying Tirza: 'Yes, that is him, that is my boyfriend. He goes with him.'

Still keeps a ship's steward the hand of the man, the basis of the boyfriend of his youngest daughter. A large hand is the, a cold hands. No fine, soft fingers. No piano fingers.

'MEE? Where To?'

'To Africa. I have told you that he says Tirza lasts?'. They depends almost to the arm of her father, but he let the hands of Choukri do not disconnect. My boyfriend goes to Africa, PAP.'

'O Yes, of course, to Africa. And what do you do?' he asks.

'I create music.'

'Music. What Kind of Music?'

'I write texts. And I play guitar. Under other.'

'Guitar. Under other.' He turns the hand of the man and examine the nails.

'I refer to the ship's steward,' says, 'You have long fingernails. People who take seriously the guitar, generally have long fingernails. I have no long fingernails. But I play no guitar. I work in the garden.' He shows his hands on the man. He seeks its arms. He moves his fingers as if he were on an imaginary piano playing. 'Look,' he says, 'gardeners hands. The hands of a gardener.'

'Papa,' says Tirza, 'we are not here on the Veemarkt. You do not need to compare each other's hands. He is just in.'

Ship's steward laughs, and at the same time he knows that he is almost certainly the man ever has seen on tv. But he does not know any more what broadcast, not even in what context. It was somewhat comical, was the news, a talk show?

'You're right, Tirza, you are just in. I must not so many questions.' He turns around to the man. 'But I am curious. I am a curious father. And Tirza is a curious daughter. Not, Tirza?'

He makes two glass of Kir Royal and pays for itself a glass of white wine in. Without asking whether he has meaning in Kir Royal he the man the champagne glass in the hands, the other he gives to Tirza. He puts his arm around her, he expresses its close to adhere to, his life, his right to exist, his youngest daughter.'Cheers,' he says, 'on this evening. I have heard a lot about you, Choukri, and I am glad you now finally to meet. Do you do anything other than make music?'

'I am sitting in the social work.'

'a social worker?'

'Yes.'

'Mewe. Also useful.' ship's steward takes a large sip. And still a. His glass is empty again. It goes quickly. Still he keeps Tirza securely. As if they would walk if he is released. 'You have no need for university education, not? In order to be a social worker, I mean? That goes without university education, is it not? What do you mean by that?'

'a training,' says the man, 'but indeed not University.'

'Not everyone is in the cradle for the university,' explains ship's steward. 'Some people have no interest in science, some people have no talent for science. That also have nothing to search on the university.'

'Pap,' says Tirza. They laughs as Tirza only can laugh, friendly but strictly, played and my sincere, polite but a bit naughty. They caresses her father on his cheek. 'Not now. Not now about science begin.'

'No,' he says, 'not now. Another time. If you want to eat. We are talking about science.' He looks at the friend of his daughter and he is convinced now not more that he already has seen him. He knows it. Only that which he does not know.

'It may be," requires a ship's steward, 'di ate you ever seen on tv? Have you ever on TV?'

The guy shakes his head. 'I create music, but I am not famous. I have never been on TV.'

'But we have already met each other, not? We know each other.'

The guy shakes his head. 'No, not really. This is the first time that I can see.'