Arnon Grunberg - Tirza

Ship's steward has the dining table for the open fireplace and three steaks baked — for him and Tirza red, for Atta well by baking — which he serves with bread, lettuce and fresh fruit.

The fire crackles, ship's steward opens its second bottle of red Bordeaux from that day. 'What do your parents actually,' he asks to Atta, 'dat you with my daughter to Africa?'

'You mean that I go to Africa, or that i with Tirza go?'

'Both.' ship's steward cuts a piece of bread and dab it carefully in the gravy on his plate is a lie. In fact this may not, but in such a different rules apply outside the home.

'I have not much more contact with my parents. I see very little.'

Ship's steward chews on the bread. It tastes like him.

'Choukri has broken with his parents,' says Tirza and they squeeze her boyfriend in his shoulder.

Broken, the word calls him, but would Ibi has not broken with her parents, who has just pulled back. That is easier than break.

'And why I ask you?'

'They had other ideas,' says the boy. 'Other ideas than i.'

'Other ideas?' ship's steward has its bread. It cuts a piece, offers the Atta but which refuses to polite.

'Other ideas?' reiterates ship's steward.

'Other ideas. As that. Other thoughts. About the life. You will also have other thoughts have than Tirza. About the life. About what is good. About how one should live. About what you need to do a good man.'

Ship's steward looks his daughter. What will they have told that Atta? About him, the wife, the lessees that he has worn, such as the wife lovers.

'I have no ideas,' he says. 'I look like a man with ideas?'

Atta vist with his fingers a last leaf lettuce of his board. 'Well, ideas, I mean that you might be a representation of the life of your daughter. What it would need to see. Later'.

'a representation? Later? If I am dead? I look like someone who knows how you should live?'

Atta laughs nervous.

Ship's steward feels that he is the boy in the close to float. It drives people would like in the closely. Because he fears for them. Because he is not a council with them know. Also his children has he previously in dire straits. Agreed Minute, only minutes, they should be strong. Their vocabulary to extend their the art of argumentation. For it is language is first and foremost a tool to get people to encircle them in the close to float, their to deprive the last resort. The language, one large attempted humiliation. Perhaps he is therefore also going to mention. Out of respect. By way of a refund. The silence is its white flag.

'Dus you think that I have made a representation of the life of my daughter?' ship's steward purports a gentle smile. 'I know what to do to get a good man?'

'I mean… what I wanted to say is that all parents have expectations. Sometimes a little too much. Perhaps sometimes also wrong expectations.'

Tirza has already said nothing time. They still on its beef chews.

'Wrong expectations? How do you know whether expectations are wrong?'

Atta shrugs. 'Well,' he says.

That is why a ship's steward itself but further. 'I have had expectations. I have drawn them back. As your soldiers to withdraw them, because I have time for claiming that expectations were not as good for Tirza. Also a father learns. I have no expectations, not of Tirza, not on its behalf. I do not expect anything.'

'I want some bread.' The voice of Atta sounds now even reroute arising.

Ship's steward cuts the. 'You're a good eater,' he says, and Atta begins at the bread to chew without the dipping in the gravy.

'And now?' requires Atta.

'And now? Now part i Tirza's expectations. In so far as they have. I have perhaps occasionally a View. Often not even. Why should I? I trust in its opinion. How to get a good man should be, I know it is not. I doubt whether even must aspire to. Is it not more important to remain a live human rights than a good man be? And you? What are your expectations of Tirza actually? Except on the sexual plane?'

'Papa,' says Tirza, 'we will skip that tonight and simply play Monopoly?'

The father serves everyone still has a glass of wine. 'It is a rather important subject,' he says, 'especially if you go to the magical center of the Aids epidemic.'

Previously talked often ship's steward sex life of man. How less sex he had, the more he talked about it. Not on the vulgar manner that most men own. On the information campaign, almost scientific way. He Ploos van the sex life of the man. Especially if Tirza's girlfriends remained a snack food, note he forged to thrash this out.

'I do not know what i expected Tirza,' says Atta soft. 'If you of someone, you expect something of those?'

'Are you ready with food?' requires a ship's steward.

Tirza nods.

He stacks the signs on each other and portrait he says: 'us you love Tirza?'

The sarcasm in his voice can not escape anyone. Here it is again, the man who love went, abolish the man who knew that he is going to pass.

Atta nods and ship's steward must think Ester feast at which he had welcomed, where he had lived go, even more than Tirza itself.

'that is nice that you love her. That is very good.'

'Papa,' says Tirza.

He also discusses silently.

At the rear of the cabinet is he Monopoly game.

It counts the money, gives everyone a pawn.

They focus on the game. The conversation is limited to the bones machines.

Only when a ship's steward is trying to win and Atta a mortgage should take on its streets, ship's steward: 'Have you actually read the Koran?'

The dice throws Atta. 'The most,' he says. 'also out of curiosity.'

He has two fours thrown.

'Curiosity?' across the board and bends the father to the boy.

'interest'.

Ship's steward looks at the hands of the boy, with which he holds a blue icon.

'8,' says ship's steward, "You have eight thrown. You come on my hotel.'

There have been previous he played monopoly as he the rent inde, ashamed and yet eager, at the end always bloodthirsty. As if he were then suddenly be reminded that everything that could be called a win was an excuse.

'I have him at me.'

'O YES?'

'Tirza was curious.'

'What?' requires a ship's steward. He knows it is no longer what it was all about. His answers are automatically, his thoughts are elsewhere.

'To the Koran.'

'Oh yes. I am also curious,' says the father. 'Forever. Not only to the Koran. To all of the man. For the other. The other has always fascinated me. Because the other determines who i am.'

The boy shakes his head. 'I determine who i am,' says Atta. 'I am Choukri. I like to play guitar. I love your daughter. That is who i am. It has nothing to do with other.'

They still play a minute or twenty further. The voltage is off. Who is going to win is now clear.

Tirza and her friend as first to top.

Ship's steward remains the same down to the fire in the fireplace to go out and the last glass and dishes to the kitchen. Slow chestairbag his game on, as though the movements hurt him. He let it on the table. Perhaps they can do a game tomorrow, it is a way to meet in the evening.

In the bedroom where his parents have slept well he opens the wardrobe, which is still a few suits of his father. A forgotten shirt.

Also it smell to the bale before he goes on the bed. Now he knows he is nothing sure, a black hole that also pent if the others look at him. As a presenter who has exercised too long only come to life when the red light on the camera starts to burn.

He will fall asleep, is to half three awake at night, he dresses civilised from, it lifts located in an old pajamas and sleep is again.

The next morning it is still rainy and gray. In his pajamas cooks ship's steward three eggs, but because Tirza and her friend lie in and he does not want to give them, eat it the eggs detached in the kitchen yourself.