Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather Read Free Page B

old?”
    “Six.”
    “Is she just like you?”
    “Everyone says she’s just like me.”
    “Is she like you when you were little? Does she wear white sneakers?”
    “No, she likes to wear leather shoes. Her father buys her one pair after another.”
    “You’re lucky. He sounds like a nice person.”
    “He’s quite good to me, but I don’t know if I’m lucky or not.”
    “And isn’t your work also quite good?”
    “Yes, compared with what many other people my age do, my work’s all right. I sit in an office, answer the phone, and take documents to my superiors.”
    “Are you a secretary?”
    “I’m looking after documents.”
    “That sort of work is confidential, it shows that they trust you.”
    “It’s much better than being a laborer. Didn’t you also manage to get through a hard time? Since you went to university, I suppose you’re doing some kind of professional work now?”
    “Yes, but it was all through my own efforts.”
    The colors of the sunset vanish. The sky is now a dark red, but on the horizon, above the treetops, there is an orange-yellow glow on the edge of a dark cloud. On the slope it is becoming dark in the grove and the youngwoman on the bench is sitting with her head bowed. She seems to look at her watch and then stands up. She is holding her handbag but decides to put it down again on the bench, as she looks at the path beyond the cypresses. Apparently noticing the moon by the clouds, she turns away and starts to pace, her eyes looking at the ground.
    “She’s waiting for someone.”
    “Waiting for someone is awful. Nowadays it’s the young men who don’t show up for dates.”
    “Are there too many young women in the city?”
    “There’s no shortage of young men, it’s just that there are too few decent young men.”
    “But this young woman is very good looking.”
    “If the woman falls in love first, it’s always unlucky.”
    “Will he turn up?”
    “Who knows? Having to wait really makes a person go crazy.”
    “Luckily we’re past that age. Have you ever waited for someone?”
    “It was he who first sought me. Have you ever made someone wait?”
    “I’ve never failed to show up for a date.”
    “Do you have a girlfriend?”
    “I seem to.”
    “Then why don’t you get married?”
    “I probably will.”
    “It seems you don’t really like her.”
    “I feel sorry for her.”
    “Feeling sorry is not love. If you don’t love her, don’t go on deceiving her!”
    “I’ve only ever deceived myself.”
    “That’s also deceiving the other person.”
    “Let’s talk about something else.”
    “All right.”
    The young woman sits down. Then she immediately stands up again, looking toward the path. The last smudge of faint red on the horizon is barely visible. She sits down again but, as if sensing people are watching, she puts down her head and appears to be fiddling with her skirt at the knees.
    “Will he turn up?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “This shouldn’t happen.”
    “There are too many things that shouldn’t happen.”
    “Is this girlfriend of yours pretty?”
    “She is a sad case.”
    “Don’t talk like that! If you don’t love her, don’t deceive her. Just find yourself a young woman you truly love, someone good-looking.”
    “Someone good-looking wouldn’t necessarily like me.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I don’t have a good father.”
    “Don’t talk like that, I don’t want to listen.”
    “Then it’s best not to listen. I think we should leave.”
    “Will you come to my home?”
    “I should bring your daughter a present. It will also count as my best wishes to you.”
    “Don’t talk like that.”
    “What’s wrong with that?”
    “You’re always hurting me.”
    “That’s never been my intention.”
    “I wish you happiness.”
    “I don’t want to hear that word.”
    “Then aren’t you happy?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s been hard just to meet this once after all these years, so let’s not talk