sit up; I want to look out of the window … Aren’t the cows there any more?’
‘Too wet; they have to be kept inside.’
‘Like me.’
‘Exactly, like you.’
‘And you? Do you need me?’
‘Of course. We need each other. Shall I put the radio on for you?’
‘No, I don’t like all those voices in the room; I can’t understand what they’re saying. It’s tiring.’
‘Right, I’m off. Consider me back already.’
‘See you later, Sylvie.’
Martine didn’t react. He was sitting up in bed lost in contemplation of the pale rectangle of window when she left the room.
‘I called her Sylvie … But what’s the difference after all? I should have asked her to bring those biscuits … Too bad. I can live without them … The wall, the road, the meadow with its tree, the edge of the forest, the sky, that’s all I need of the world. Nothing can go wrong with those. I wonder why I’ve resisted so long …’
He stared at the grassy meadow until everything was green, green inside, green outside, a big curtain of green in front of his eye, exactly what the cows must see as they grazed. That was when he saw Gilles. It was weird; he was walking in the soaking-wet field, lifting his knees high as he went. ‘Fabien! Hey, Fabien!’ He was calling him, making a megaphone of his hands … Fabien blinked. Gilles was still there.
Two large tears rolled down Fabien’s cheeks. The first time he’d seen a human being in the meadow, and it was his old buddy. He took a few minutes to believe what he was seeing, and to drag himself over to the window. The fresh air was like a bucket of cold water in his face. For a second it took his breath away. Gilles jumped up and down, waving his arms.
‘Fabien! For God’s sake! Fabien! Come down and let me in; it’s locked.’
‘I can’t … You’ll have to climb over the wall.’
‘What?’
‘I haven’t got the keys.’
‘What the hell is going on? OK, I’ll climb on the roof of the car. Hang on a minute.’
Fabien got back into bed. His head was spinning. He couldn’t have said whether Gilles’s appearance in his little world pleased him or not. He heard a sharp snap followed by breaking glass then footsteps on the stairs.
‘Well, my old friend, what’s with all this crap? Christ! What’s happened to you?’
The presence of Gilles in the bedroom seemed indecent. His voice was too loud, his gesticulations too emphatic. He was too real.
‘Are you unwell? What’s wrong with your leg? Say something, damn it!’
‘I’m getting better. I was shot.’
‘Shot! What kind of messed-up situation have you got yourself into?’
‘It’s complicated … I wouldn’t know where to start. But anyway what are you doing here?’
‘You’ve been gone for more than two weeks! Don’t you remember? You gave me the name of the village. I borrowed Laure’s car and I asked for directions in the village, a house with two women. They told me about this dump but they said there was no one here. I came anyway just to check … You look like shit. Are you all alone?’
‘No. Martine has gone into town for some shopping.’
‘And she locks you in when she goes out? Why are the shutters closed? And the other biddy, where is she?’
‘I can’t tell you, Gilles. My head’s spinning. I’m tired.’
‘It doesn’t matter, you can tell me about it later. But I’m not leaving you another minute in this house, it’s downright sinister. You’ll have to see the doc. Have you got clothes and things, a bag?’
‘I can’t leave just like that. Martine …’
‘What Martine? She’s completely nutty, the witch, leaving you rotting away in bed. No, my friend, we’re getting out of here and that’s all there is to it. I’ve seen all I need to.’
‘Gilles, it’ll take too long to explain, but I can’t …’
‘That’s bullshit! What do you think? That we’re going to chat about the rain and the beautiful weather and then I’ll say, “Cheerio, see you
‘Too wet; they have to be kept inside.’
‘Like me.’
‘Exactly, like you.’
‘And you? Do you need me?’
‘Of course. We need each other. Shall I put the radio on for you?’
‘No, I don’t like all those voices in the room; I can’t understand what they’re saying. It’s tiring.’
‘Right, I’m off. Consider me back already.’
‘See you later, Sylvie.’
Martine didn’t react. He was sitting up in bed lost in contemplation of the pale rectangle of window when she left the room.
‘I called her Sylvie … But what’s the difference after all? I should have asked her to bring those biscuits … Too bad. I can live without them … The wall, the road, the meadow with its tree, the edge of the forest, the sky, that’s all I need of the world. Nothing can go wrong with those. I wonder why I’ve resisted so long …’
He stared at the grassy meadow until everything was green, green inside, green outside, a big curtain of green in front of his eye, exactly what the cows must see as they grazed. That was when he saw Gilles. It was weird; he was walking in the soaking-wet field, lifting his knees high as he went. ‘Fabien! Hey, Fabien!’ He was calling him, making a megaphone of his hands … Fabien blinked. Gilles was still there.
Two large tears rolled down Fabien’s cheeks. The first time he’d seen a human being in the meadow, and it was his old buddy. He took a few minutes to believe what he was seeing, and to drag himself over to the window. The fresh air was like a bucket of cold water in his face. For a second it took his breath away. Gilles jumped up and down, waving his arms.
‘Fabien! For God’s sake! Fabien! Come down and let me in; it’s locked.’
‘I can’t … You’ll have to climb over the wall.’
‘What?’
‘I haven’t got the keys.’
‘What the hell is going on? OK, I’ll climb on the roof of the car. Hang on a minute.’
Fabien got back into bed. His head was spinning. He couldn’t have said whether Gilles’s appearance in his little world pleased him or not. He heard a sharp snap followed by breaking glass then footsteps on the stairs.
‘Well, my old friend, what’s with all this crap? Christ! What’s happened to you?’
The presence of Gilles in the bedroom seemed indecent. His voice was too loud, his gesticulations too emphatic. He was too real.
‘Are you unwell? What’s wrong with your leg? Say something, damn it!’
‘I’m getting better. I was shot.’
‘Shot! What kind of messed-up situation have you got yourself into?’
‘It’s complicated … I wouldn’t know where to start. But anyway what are you doing here?’
‘You’ve been gone for more than two weeks! Don’t you remember? You gave me the name of the village. I borrowed Laure’s car and I asked for directions in the village, a house with two women. They told me about this dump but they said there was no one here. I came anyway just to check … You look like shit. Are you all alone?’
‘No. Martine has gone into town for some shopping.’
‘And she locks you in when she goes out? Why are the shutters closed? And the other biddy, where is she?’
‘I can’t tell you, Gilles. My head’s spinning. I’m tired.’
‘It doesn’t matter, you can tell me about it later. But I’m not leaving you another minute in this house, it’s downright sinister. You’ll have to see the doc. Have you got clothes and things, a bag?’
‘I can’t leave just like that. Martine …’
‘What Martine? She’s completely nutty, the witch, leaving you rotting away in bed. No, my friend, we’re getting out of here and that’s all there is to it. I’ve seen all I need to.’
‘Gilles, it’ll take too long to explain, but I can’t …’
‘That’s bullshit! What do you think? That we’re going to chat about the rain and the beautiful weather and then I’ll say, “Cheerio, see you
Similar Books
