Read Chasing the King of Hearts (Peirene's Turning Point Series) Online
Authors: Hanna Krall
Chasing the King of Hearts (Peirene's Turning Point Series) (17 page)
She sits at the head of the table. The way her mother always sat… Her father ought to be across from her. Let’s hope he wouldn’t go on about women’s smiles. Better he should talk about that new colour. And even better – let him explain how he could possibly have gone to them. To the Germans! Answering their call!
Why didn’t those people want to listen to her?
If her mother hadn’t moved out of the gatehouse…
If Halina hadn’t trusted a stranger…
If her father hadn’t gone to the Germans…
If the couple hadn’t been so loud at the stove…
If Janka Tempelhof hadn’t stayed in Guben…
And if your Shayek had gone to get his sisters a little sooner. Couldn’t you have prodded him more: Go to your sisters, they need to get out…
Whose voice is that? Is that Hela’s husband? He could have prodded his wife himself. His fair-haired wife… Anyway, Hela isn’t the absurd age of ninety – she’s suntanned and pretty, with a long slender neck… Her bronzed skin looks good with light-coloured hair. With hair like that and such blue eyes, couldn’t Hela have…?
Shayek asked her not to say anything against his sisters.
She doesn’t say anything against them, just asks questions.
She too is allowed to ask a few questions.
Besides, Hela doesn’t begrudge her the questions, she just wants to know…
What does that Hela want to know now?
What was it like at Pawiak? asks Hela. Did you really turn away…?
After all, Shayek’s mother doesn’t hold it against her, on
the contrary, my daughter-in-law was smart, very smart, only (her mother-in-law asks) couldn’t you have… I know it would have been hard, but couldn’t you have tried to take Halina and her father to Vienna…?
I couldn’t, I didn’t have money…
Maybe I did have money, but that was for him, I had to save him…
Him… For him… He…
Remember, don’t tell him that he survived because of you…
Who is saying that? Lilusia? But Lilusia, it was because of my prayers, my thoughts, my strength, believe me, that was why he survived!
And then what? He left you… Your king of hearts wrote you a letter and moved out…
Who…? Who’s saying that…?
After all, I carried him inside me, like you carry a child. Is it my fault? Is a pregnant woman guilty for having her belly?
*
I wrote about the ‘author in Poland’ and Izolda R. in a piece entitled ‘A Novel for Hollywood’ – which may be regarded as a draft for this book. – HK
*
How was India?
Great. That’s the best place on earth for someone who’s just finished the army. You have this physical sense of being able to do anything and that you’re allowed to do anything…
What’s with the hair? Shaving your head made you feel even freer?
I know it sounds strange, but it’s true… It’s hard for me to come back – to my hair, to studying, discipline. At night I dream about India…
†
What kind of fish is that?
I’m sure it’s farmed. Everything is farm-raised these days.
Do you know how to make
gefilte fish
? I made it once. You have to clean the entire fish without spilling the bile… And not use too much matzoh meal.
*
No, I’m not going. I’ve made up my mind and stop asking questions.
But you love him.
I said stop asking questions, please.
You could spend some time with him and some time here with us, with the girls.
I couldn’t. I have to be OK with everything. I’m asking you…
*
We left a large wooden statue at the beach, dedicated to our friend (he drowned in the sea saving a child…). Then we set fire to the statue. It was evening, the sea, there was music, a fire. The burning wood started to fall apart and suddenly a man appeared. Everyone froze: a man in the flames? Of course it wasn’t a real man, just a figure made of plastic, but it made an incredible impression. Can you imagine? A man in the flames, with the sea in the background…
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1
Beside the Sea
by Véronique Olmi
Translated from the French by Adriana Hunter
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Stone in a Landslide
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Translated from the Catalan by Laura McGloughlin and Paul Mitchell
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Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman
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Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch
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Next World Novella
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Tomorrow Pamplona
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Maybe This Time
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Sea of Ink
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Mr Darwin’s Gardener
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Chasing the King of Hearts
by Hanna Krall
Translated from the Polish by Philip Boehm
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