Daniel by Henning Mankell

Author:Henning Mankell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: The New Press
Published: 2010-10-20T21:00:00+00:00

It had rained. They walked along a cobblestone street towards the inn. Daniel usually held Father’s hand, but now he didn’t want to. Nor did Father seem to want him to. Daniel stole a glance at him. He’s thinking about the woman with the slender hands. He thought he could see her in Father’s eyes.

The dining room at the inn was empty, but there was a table set for them. Daniel wasn’t hungry. The knot in his stomach didn’t leave room for any food. He thought about the lion and the fact that Father had told a story about him that wasn’t true.

‘Why aren’t you eating?’

Father gave him a stern look. His eyes were glazed because he had drunk many glasses during the meal.

‘I’m not hungry.’

‘Are you sick?’

‘No.’

‘I don’t like your tone of voice. You’re answering as if you don’t want to talk to me.’

Daniel said nothing.

‘One can’t always tell the truth,’ said Father. ‘Maybe there wasn’t any lion. But she liked it. She’s going to write about it. And maybe that will also make her like me.’

Father emptied his glass, shook his head and looked at Daniel.

‘Do you understand what I mean?’

Daniel nodded. He didn’t understand, but it made Father feel good when he nodded.

‘A very beautiful woman,’ Father said. ‘Unmarried. Perhaps radical, but that usually passes. I have to think about the future.’

So do I, Daniel said silently to himself.

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