Arnon Grunberg - Tirza

He must be reachable from the outside to reach his room. At every step he set, he has the idea that he is going somewhere, but he does not know which. Small animals likely. Ants. Browse. Mos.

In his room He kneels for the minibar. He picks up a can of cola and a small bottle of white wine from. The tin press against his forehead, the wine he opens. Tomorrow, he decides, tomorrow will he buy new shoes. Tomorrow he goes.

For he is, I am told he for the mirror. He does his both arms raised. And down again. And up again. There is nothing special to see him.

The photo he explains on the bedside table next to his watch. There are spots on the photo, greasy fingers.

Four times that night he is awake. Once he is on to drink water. In the bathroom he realizes that the water may not drinkable is that it can be sick of, and he will return to lie in bed. He begins to understand something. He understands that there is perhaps something awful happened, an absolutely definitive event. That the moment you will not see each other again. But he understands the in his dreams.

The days then buy a few sandals, ship's steward he visits the Dutch embassy, runs quietly and organized by the city and a few cheap hotels within. Here and there he let Tirza's photo. Occasionally he begins a call. He cannot help you further.

Two times he visits an internet cafe, but there is no email of Tirza, only the wife.

In one of the hotels thinks they have seen Tirza true, but we know that they are a Swiss girl was that in the event of a group.

'Dat cannot,' answers ship's steward. 'Dat is someone else.'

In the Heinitzburghotel is now everyone on the height of the fact that a ship's steward searching for his daughter. At breakfast and dinner one speaks reassuring on him in. The one time says the staff that they will be to the north, then they say that Tirza certainly somewhere around Sossusvlei In the desert. The next morning says someone that they might be hitchhiked is in the direction of Cape Town. The lifts in the direction of Cape Town is popular with tourists these days.

Ship's steward makes notes in the booklet that ever has been Tirza, but are diligent annotations cannot conceal the fact that his disbelief spreads. He did not know what he has still to do, he does not know where he should go, he has no idea where he can still find. Hours he runs through a hot city with a photo in his pocket, a hat on his head, a briefcase under his arm. A ms of the embassy says to him: 'It is a hopeless task. Here you can do nothing. Go back to the Netherlands. Wait you quiet.'

The difficulty is that not a youngster all its specialty?

Also in the internet cafe know it now. The man with the hat which a message of his daughter wait. They live with him, as with a movie, but it does not help. And even on sandals do his feet pain.

Every morning he extends his stay in the hotel with one day. Where is he going next? Return to the Netherlands? Excluded. Two times still call the wife, in addition to its friendly, but also what compelling e-mails. The unrest in her voice is heard. She says: "I have the Ibi but told, I mean, what is the point of the for her to conceal the?'

And ship's steward responds only: 'that was not have been necessary. In a few days is them. You must not make the people concerned.'

On a day at the end of the afternoon — he has once again a few hours by the city of prejudice, the envelope with the photo in his pocket, the briefcase under the arm — he climbs the hill in the direction of the Heinitzburghotel. Just go and it will dawn.

Hofmeesters foot is dry. For the first time he has the idea that he can distinguish between pain and despair. Dull and somewhat more paralysis is the desperation and also narcotic. The desperation is no sense, it is the opposite, the awareness that you no longer feel that the feeling is to slip road, you only have to leave behind.

In a quiet street, not far from the car rental company Hertz, he notes that someone just behind him is going to walk. He clasps his briefcase even sturdier than formerly against located on. Although the fear of the first days gradually disappeared, is he prepared for anything. This is Africa.

He accelerates are only.

'Do you want company, sir?' he hears.

Without stopping to walk He turns around and see a girl of — what will it be? — a year or ten, nine in a flodderig dress.

He goes even faster. The echoes after in his head: 'Do you want company, sir?', it is a question, is it not rather the confirmation of a situation? 'Do you want company, sir?' Why nobody has yet that asked him? While the so obvious, it was a small effort. 'Do you want company, sir?' five words, that everything is.five simple words.

There is nobody on the street. Even the keeper who is usually always for Hertz state, ship's steward today. He is probably also to the toilet. Also guards must puddles.

The girl runs with him, better said: they rent with him. He saves a street in which he must strike not at all. This is not the way to the hotel. Here he would never. He must be returned. There are blisters on his feet that noticeable, and also corns.

'Do you want company, sir?' she asks them again.

'No, no,' he sist, without stopping to walk. 'Go away! Go away!'

In the event of a cross with a stop lamp remains stationary. It dices with a handkerchief on his face. She is still there. First behind him, now next to him.

If he has his handkerchief stowed, picks up the child his left hand.

They do not let him. She loves the hand.

The stop light jumps on green. Also he remains, the child to his hand. They must release him, but they do not work. They will continue to hold him. Than he plugs on. With the girl.

As they walk silently in the direction of the Heinitzburghotel. A man and a child, a white and a black, a man with a hat and one without.

At the next crossing he looks again to her. Volatile and ashamed as to a forbidden fruit.

It is only now that he sees that they have no shoes.

He sees her feet. He thinks: there may be a garbage on street are, glass, garbage, food residues. Gently squeeze it in her hand.

She will not return. They will remain firmly hold him only.

And if he is at the front desk to the room key is requested, keeps them still his left hand.

There is to him and the child, but nobody says something. If all other days gives him the room key, and if all other days are being asked to him: 'Use the dinner in our restaurant?'

Ship's steward nods.

Once in the room he puts the child on a chair and is himself in bed. His hand is wet with sweat.

He does his hats, wipe his face with a handkerchief.

The child looks at him, it follows its movements. Hard, but not nervous.

Ship's steward keeps his head, he does not know to which it began. He was here to find Tirza. Now he has a child on his room, a black child in a dingy dress without shoes.

He opens the minibar. 'Water?' he asks. The child is nodding. He gives water in a glass and gives the hair. They are keen to drink.

He is going to sit on the bed again and watches. Then he makes his sandals off. His right foot is on two spots on the bleeding. In his bag he is looking for plasters.

It is his last plasters.

If he is ready to deal with the wounds, he asks: 'How would you?'

'Kaisa.'

"Ka-isa?'

She nods.

'I am Jörgen,' he says. 'Jörgen ship's steward.' He speaks with her in English, slowly and clearly as if he is back in the Buchmesse is and talk about books him, if he is fair, not so much care. They fall against, what is not against compared with Tolstoy?

So they are sitting opposite each other. He is on the bed, it on the seat.

Somewhere in the distance he noticed a novice headache. A novice disease. Flu.

After a quarter of an hour makes them the question they already twice to him.