any
of your business.” She paused. “Well you should know that now he thinks I’m your
girlfriend or whore, maybe, that’s why you’re so interested in publishing my
book.”
“But you know better,” He shrugged, “Who
cares what he thinks?”
Good question, Ada thought. Really, why did
she care so much? She had no answer.
“Did he come on to you?” Eddie asked.
Ada nodded. “Can I go in now?” She asked.
“Because I really don’t see why I have to tell you all this, It’s my personal
life, and I don’t have to share it with you.”
He nodded. “You’re right.” He said. “It’s
not my business.” He paused. “I said I wanted to try to make you understand
something.”
She nodded. “Okay?”
“Those things you said about my
grandfather, they were true.” His voice was quiet. “He did embezzle money.
Nothing I say or do will excuse that fact.”
She stayed silent.
“He belonged to a system that was corrupt,”
Eddie continued. “I’m not excusing him, but he did what everyone was doing at
the time.” He stopped, and sighed. For a moment, Ada pitied him. This was
obviously an argument he had gone through before, with himself maybe. “I would
have preferred for him to be a hero.” He continued. “To have been the man who
stood up against corruption and fought for what was right, but he wasn’t that
man,” He turned to look at Ada. “That doesn’t mean that he is no longer my family.”
Ada didn’t say anything. What could she say
anyway?
He sighed. “Maybe you would prefer for
people like me to fall on our swords and die, but in real life it doesn’t work
like that. For God’s sake we’re fighting about someone who has been dead for
more than twenty years.”
“We’re fighting about money he stole, which
you still have.” Ada retorted. “If you were such a good person, if your family
had any conscience they would return it.”
He laughed. “Don’t be naive.” He said.
“You’re talking about money that has been multiplied a thousand times over.” At
her stubborn expression, he continued. “My father did try to return some money
to the government when he was young and idealistic. He ended up enriching a
couple of government officials, while they called him a fool as soon as his
back was turned. That’s what happens you know. The country hasn’t changed for
the better, even though my grandfather is dead.”
He wasn’t lying, Ada realized. It was still
a corrupt country. But that didn’t change anything, it certainly didn’t change
the fact that he had tried to interfere in her life without her permission.
“Can I go inside now?” She asked
dispassionately, the sooner this episode of her life that included him was
over, the better for her. “I really don’t want to talk about this. Eddie, you
don’t need to make excuses to me, you don’t actually need my forgiveness or
validation.” She paused. He was staring straight ahead, and she couldn’t see
the expression on his face. “We’re not friends.” She continued. “I’m sure you have
a lot of friends, people like you, who understand where you’re coming from and
accept it. But I don’t, and I don’t want to have to deal with it.”
He laughed disbelievingly. “So that’s it
then?” He asked, turning to face her. “You asking me to take a hike because I
tried to get your book published and I had the misfortune to be born into a
certain family.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to interfere in
my life.” She retorted. “Maybe you should have come to me before appointing
yourself as an executor of my affairs.”
“Why don’t you just face it, and accept
that you’re blowing all this out of proportion because you’re too scared to
face up to the fact that you want to be with me.” He said.
“I am not scared of anything.” Ada replied
hotly. It was a lie, and they both knew it.
“Really?” His voice was challenging.
“Really?” He shook his head in what looked like exasperation.
of your business.” She paused. “Well you should know that now he thinks I’m your
girlfriend or whore, maybe, that’s why you’re so interested in publishing my
book.”
“But you know better,” He shrugged, “Who
cares what he thinks?”
Good question, Ada thought. Really, why did
she care so much? She had no answer.
“Did he come on to you?” Eddie asked.
Ada nodded. “Can I go in now?” She asked.
“Because I really don’t see why I have to tell you all this, It’s my personal
life, and I don’t have to share it with you.”
He nodded. “You’re right.” He said. “It’s
not my business.” He paused. “I said I wanted to try to make you understand
something.”
She nodded. “Okay?”
“Those things you said about my
grandfather, they were true.” His voice was quiet. “He did embezzle money.
Nothing I say or do will excuse that fact.”
She stayed silent.
“He belonged to a system that was corrupt,”
Eddie continued. “I’m not excusing him, but he did what everyone was doing at
the time.” He stopped, and sighed. For a moment, Ada pitied him. This was
obviously an argument he had gone through before, with himself maybe. “I would
have preferred for him to be a hero.” He continued. “To have been the man who
stood up against corruption and fought for what was right, but he wasn’t that
man,” He turned to look at Ada. “That doesn’t mean that he is no longer my family.”
Ada didn’t say anything. What could she say
anyway?
He sighed. “Maybe you would prefer for
people like me to fall on our swords and die, but in real life it doesn’t work
like that. For God’s sake we’re fighting about someone who has been dead for
more than twenty years.”
“We’re fighting about money he stole, which
you still have.” Ada retorted. “If you were such a good person, if your family
had any conscience they would return it.”
He laughed. “Don’t be naive.” He said.
“You’re talking about money that has been multiplied a thousand times over.” At
her stubborn expression, he continued. “My father did try to return some money
to the government when he was young and idealistic. He ended up enriching a
couple of government officials, while they called him a fool as soon as his
back was turned. That’s what happens you know. The country hasn’t changed for
the better, even though my grandfather is dead.”
He wasn’t lying, Ada realized. It was still
a corrupt country. But that didn’t change anything, it certainly didn’t change
the fact that he had tried to interfere in her life without her permission.
“Can I go inside now?” She asked
dispassionately, the sooner this episode of her life that included him was
over, the better for her. “I really don’t want to talk about this. Eddie, you
don’t need to make excuses to me, you don’t actually need my forgiveness or
validation.” She paused. He was staring straight ahead, and she couldn’t see
the expression on his face. “We’re not friends.” She continued. “I’m sure you have
a lot of friends, people like you, who understand where you’re coming from and
accept it. But I don’t, and I don’t want to have to deal with it.”
He laughed disbelievingly. “So that’s it
then?” He asked, turning to face her. “You asking me to take a hike because I
tried to get your book published and I had the misfortune to be born into a
certain family.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to interfere in
my life.” She retorted. “Maybe you should have come to me before appointing
yourself as an executor of my affairs.”
“Why don’t you just face it, and accept
that you’re blowing all this out of proportion because you’re too scared to
face up to the fact that you want to be with me.” He said.
“I am not scared of anything.” Ada replied
hotly. It was a lie, and they both knew it.
“Really?” His voice was challenging.
“Really?” He shook his head in what looked like exasperation.
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