The Collected Short Stories by 9780241290859

Author:9780241290859
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

5

‘You can dress in the washroom after lunch,’ the sister said next morning.

‘Oh, yes?’

There was nothing to be surprised about. So much time had been paid for and now the time was up and she would have to go. There was nothing to be surprised about.

Inez said, ‘Would it be possible to stay two or three days longer? I wanted to make some arrangements. It would be more convenient. I was idiotic not to speak about it before.’

The sister’s raised eyebrows were very thin - like two thin new moons.

She said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m afraid it’s not possible. Why didn’t you ask before? I told the doctor yesterday that I don’t think you are very strong yet. But we are expecting four patients this evening and several others tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately we are going to be very full up and he thinks you are well enough to go. You must rest when you get back home. Move as little as possible.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Inez said; but she thought, ‘No, this time I won’t be able to pull it off, this time I’m done.’ ‘We wondered if it was Murphy - or you …’ Well, it’s both of us.

Then her body relaxed and she lay and did not think of anything, for there is peace in despair in exactly the same way as there is despair in peace. Everything in her body relaxed. She did not make any more plans, she just lay there.

They had their midday dinner - roast beef, potatoes and beans, and then a milk pudding. Just like England. Inez ate and enjoyed it, and then lay back with her arm over her eyes. She knew that Pat was watching her but she lay peaceful, and thought of nothing.

‘Here are your things,’ the nurse said. ‘Will you get dressed now?’

‘All right.’

‘I’m afraid you’re not feeling up to much. Well, you’ll have some tea before you go, won’t you? And you must go straight to bed as soon as you get back.’

‘Get back where?’ Inez thought. ‘Why should you always take it for granted that everybody has somewhere to get back to?’

‘Oh yes,’ she said. ‘I will.’

And all the time she dressed she saw the street, the ‘buses and taxis charging at her, the people jostling her. She heard their voices, saw their eyes … When you fall you don’t ever get up; they take care of that …

She leant against the wall thinking of Mrs Murphy’s voice when she said, ‘Please, please, please, please, please …’

After a while she wiped the tears off her face. She did not put any powder on, and when she got into the ward she could only see the bed she was going to lie on and wait till they came with the tongs to throw her out.

‘Will you come over here for a moment?’

There was a chair at the head of each bed. She sat down and looked at the fan-shaped wrinkles under Madame Tavernier’s small, dark, melancholy eyes, the swollen blue veins on her hands and the pattern of the gold ring - two roses, the petals touching each other.

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