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E-Books (english-e-reader), After the Earthquake (2)

After the Earthquake (2)

On a table by the bed, there was a vase full of green leaves and large open milky flowers that gave out a strong smell.

'Magnolias,' said Mrs Blakiston gently, her head on one side. She loved flowers. 'Beautiful,' she added.

'I picked them from the garden,' said Miss Duncaster. 'Mother planted the tree when I was born. It has grown up with me. I felt she'd like to have the flowers beside her now.' 'Yes,' said Mrs Blakiston, 'yes, Annie, of course.'

Walter turned away to look at a box made of dark shiny wood on the floor by the window.

'That belonged to my father,' explained Miss Duncaster. 'He was a doctor, you know - the first doctor in this town. All his doctor's things are in that box.'

'Did he come from England?' asked Walter.

'A long time ago, in a sailing ship, with my mother. Mother missed England all her life, but she didn't go back, even when father died.'

At that moment, Walter noticed old Mrs Duncaster's hand on the side of the bed, lying just under the edge of the sheet. The hand held a book with something in gold on the cover. 'What's that?' he asked.

'My mother's Bible,' said Miss Duncaster.

'No, I meant the gold thing on the cover-'

'Oh, that's my mother's family crest. Yes, that meant a lot to her.' Miss Duncaster sighed, then added, to Walter's mother: 'She came from a very old, important English family, you know. I never knew any of them, of course. They meant nothing to me.' She pulled the sheet over the dead hand and straightened the magnolias in their vase. 'I'm a colonial,' she said. 'My life is here, in this country.'

Soon they went downstairs. 'Walter and I must go home now, Annie,' said Mrs Blakiston.

'You have been so kind,' said Miss Duncaster. She looked around the room for something to give them. 'Wait now and I'll cut you some magnolias from the garden.'

The big magnolia tree grew at the back of the house. Its dark leaves shone in the sun, and the white flowers were like sea birds high up in the branches. While Mrs Blakiston and Walter stood and watched, Miss Duncaster jumped up to reach the branches. She pulled them down and broke off the creamy flowers, careful not to damage them.

'They go brown so easily,' she explained. She laughed, her face pink and untidy, as she gave the flowers to Walter. 'He's surprised that I can jump so high,' she said to Mrs Blakiston, laughing again, this time at the boy's face.

'I only jump up like that when I'm really really happy,' said Walter. 'Don't I, Mum? I can jump damn high.'

'What did I hear you say, Walter?'

He had learnt the bad word from his father. 'I can jump as high as the sky,' he said softly.

They walked round to the front of the house. While Mrs Blakiston went to get the gig, Walter waited with Miss Duncaster. He looked around and saw that the brown riding horse was no longer tied to the verandah.

'Where's the horse gone?' he asked.

'What a funny boy you are,' said Miss Duncaster. 'What horse?'

Walter pointed with the magnolias that he was holding. 'It was over by the verandah,' he said. 'We saw it.'

Miss Duncaster bent down and hit him on the arm with her open hand. 'You're damaging the flowers,' she said in a quick, angry voice. 'There was no horse.'

Mrs Blakiston drove up with the gig. 'Come on, Walter. Say goodbye nicely to Miss Duncaster.'

On the way home with his mother Walter said, 'I didn't ask too many questions, did I?'

'No, I don't think so,' said his mother, but she did not sound very sure.

'Then why did she hit me?'

'I don t believe she did. It's just one of your stories.'

That evening, when Mr Blakiston came in from the farm for his tea, he saw the big bowl of magnolias in the middle of the table.

'Not ours are they?' he asked.

'No.' His wife told him of their morning visit to the Duncaster's and of Mrs Duncaster's death in the earthquake. While she talked, she picked up pieces of the china vase that had broken in the earthquake and put them together with glue. Walter, his own meal finished, watched her and listened to her talking.

'Of course, it's terrible for Annie, alone in that old house,' he heard her say to his father, 'but she seemed very brave about it.'

Brave? Mr Blakiston said. 'She's probably damn pleased about it. For ten years and more, she's been shut in that house taking care of that old woman. She'll have a chance to marry now.'

'I don t think she's the kind of woman who gets married.'

'Don't you believe it. I hear more than you do,' said Mr Blakiston.

'Does Joe Sleaver ride a dark brown horse?' Walter asked suddenly.

Mr Blakiston looked surprised. He took his pipe from between his lips and studied it before he answered. 'Yes,' he said, 'I think he does.'

Walter, warned Mrs Blakiston, 'you remember what I said to you today, about not asking questions, don't you?'

'I only meant-' began Walter, and stopped.

'What's this about? What are you two talking about?' said Mr Blakiston. 'Why shouldn't Joe Sleaver ride a brown horse if he wants to?'

'Walter thinks that he saw a dark brown horse tied to the Duncaster's' verandah this morning,' explained his mother.

'I did see it,' cried Walter. 'Mum saw it too!'

His father and mother looked at each other. Then, with his pipe in his mouth, Mr Blakiston reached forward and picked up a piece of the china vase. 'Well,' he said, smiling as he spoke, 'well, we don't have earthquakes every night.'

'I did see the horse,' Walter said again. Why did his parents want to stop him finding things out? All older people were the same. 'I did see the horse.'

'Of course, you saw the damn horse!' said his father suddenly. 'Be quiet about it, that's all.' To his wife he said, more quietly, 'I was thinking yesterday, you know, I shall probably never go back to the Old Country. It's too far away now, too long ago.'

- THE END -

After the Earthquake (2) Nach dem Erdbeben (2) Después del terremoto (2) Après le tremblement de terre (2) Dopo il terremoto (2) 震災後 (2) 지진 이후 (2) Depois do terramoto (2) После землетрясения (2) Depremden Sonra (2) Після землетрусу (2) 地震后(2)

On a table by the bed, there was a vase full of green leaves and large open milky flowers that gave out a strong smell.

'Magnolias,' said Mrs Blakiston gently, her head on one side. She loved flowers. 'Beautiful,' she added.

'I picked them from the garden,' said Miss Duncaster. 'Mother planted the tree when I was born. 「私が生まれたとき、母は木を植えました。 It has grown up with me. I felt she'd like to have the flowers beside her now.' 私は彼女が今彼女のそばに花を持ちたいと思っていると感じました. 'Yes,' said Mrs Blakiston, 'yes, Annie, of course.'

Walter turned away to look at a box made of dark shiny wood on the floor by the window. ウォルターは背を向け、窓際の床に置かれた黒ずんだ光沢のある木でできた箱を見た。

'That belonged to my father,' explained Miss Duncaster. 'He was a doctor, you know - the first doctor in this town. All his doctor's things are in that box.'

'Did he come from England?' asked Walter.

'A long time ago, in a sailing ship, with my mother. Mother missed England all her life, but she didn't go back, even when father died.' 母は一生イギリスが恋しかったが、父が亡くなったときでさえ、彼女は戻らなかった.

At that moment, Walter noticed old Mrs Duncaster's hand on the side of the bed, lying just under the edge of the sheet. その瞬間、ウォルターはダンカスター夫人の手がベッドの横にあり、シーツの端のすぐ下にあることに気がつきました。 The hand held a book with something in gold on the cover. その手は表紙に金色の何かが書かれた本を持っていた。 'What's that?' he asked.

'My mother's Bible,' said Miss Duncaster.

'No, I meant the gold thing on the cover-' 「いいえ、表紙の金のことを意味していました-」

'Oh, that's my mother's family crest. 「ああ、それは私の母の家紋です。 Yes, that meant a lot to her.' はい、それは彼女にとって大きな意味がありました。 Miss Duncaster sighed, then added, to Walter's mother: 'She came from a very old, important English family, you know. ミス・ダンカスターはため息をついて、ウォルターの母親にこう付け加えた。 I never knew any of them, of course. もちろん、私はそれらのどれも知りませんでした。 They meant nothing to me.' She pulled the sheet over the dead hand and straightened the magnolias in their vase. 彼女はシートを死んだ手の上に引っ張り、花瓶のモクレンをまっすぐにしました。 'I'm a colonial,' she said. 「私は植民地人です」と彼女は言いました。 'My life is here, in this country.'

Soon they went downstairs. 'Walter and I must go home now, Annie,' said Mrs Blakiston.

'You have been so kind,' said Miss Duncaster. 「あなたはとても親切でした」とミス・ダンカスターは言いました。 She looked around the room for something to give them. 彼女は彼らに何かを与えるために部屋を見回した. 'Wait now and I'll cut you some magnolias from the garden.'

The big magnolia tree grew at the back of the house. 大きなモクレンの木が家の裏に生えていました。 Its dark leaves shone in the sun, and the white flowers were like sea birds high up in the branches. その暗い葉は太陽に輝いていて、白い花は海鳥のように枝の高いところに咲いていました。 While Mrs Blakiston and Walter stood and watched, Miss Duncaster jumped up to reach the branches. ブラキストン夫人とウォルターが立って見ていると、ミス・ダンカスターは飛び上がって枝にたどり着きました。 She pulled them down and broke off the creamy flowers, careful not to damage them.

'They go brown so easily,' she explained. 「彼らはとても簡単に茶色になります」と彼女は説明した. She laughed, her face pink and untidy, as she gave the flowers to Walter. ウォルターに花を渡すと、彼女は顔を真っ赤にして乱雑に笑った。 'He's surprised that I can jump so high,' she said to Mrs Blakiston, laughing again, this time at the boy's face. 「私がこんなに高く跳べると彼は驚いています」と彼女はブラキストン夫人に言い、今度は男の子の顔を見てまた笑いました。

'I only jump up like that when I'm really really happy,' said Walter. 「本当に幸せなときだけ、あんな風に飛び上がるんだ」とウォルターは言った。 'Don't I, Mum? I can jump damn high.' 私は非常に高くジャンプすることができます。

'What did I hear you say, Walter?' 「ウォルター、何て言った?」

He had learnt the bad word from his father. 彼は父親から悪い言葉を学んだ. 'I can jump as high as the sky,' he said softly. 「私は空と同じくらい高くジャンプできます」と彼は静かに言った.

They walked round to the front of the house. While Mrs Blakiston went to get the gig, Walter waited with Miss Duncaster. Während Mrs. Blakiston den Job holte, wartete Walter mit Miss Duncaster. He looked around and saw that the brown riding horse was no longer tied to the verandah.

'Where's the horse gone?' he asked.

'What a funny boy you are,' said Miss Duncaster. 'What horse?'

Walter pointed with the magnolias that he was holding. ウォルターは持っていたマグノリアを指差した。 'It was over by the verandah,' he said. 「それはベランダのそばにありました」と彼は言いました。 'We saw it.'

Miss Duncaster bent down and hit him on the arm with her open hand. ミス・ダンカスターは身をかがめ、開いた手でダンカスターの腕を殴った。 'You're damaging the flowers,' she said in a quick, angry voice. 「あなたは花を傷つけています」と彼女は素早い怒りの声で言った. 'There was no horse.'

Mrs Blakiston drove up with the gig. 'Come on, Walter. Say goodbye nicely to Miss Duncaster.' ミス・ダンカスターにさよならを言ってください。

On the way home with his mother Walter said, 'I didn't ask too many questions, did I?'

'No, I don't think so,' said his mother, but she did not sound very sure. 「いいえ、そうは思いません」と母親は言いましたが、あまり確信が持てませんでした。

'Then why did she hit me?' 「では、なぜ彼女は私を殴ったのですか?」

'I don t believe she did. It's just one of your stories.'

That evening, when Mr Blakiston came in from the farm for his tea, he saw the big bowl of magnolias in the middle of the table.

'Not ours are they?' 「私たちのものではありませんか?」 he asked.

'No.' His wife told him of their morning visit to the Duncaster's and of Mrs Duncaster's death in the earthquake. While she talked, she picked up pieces of the china vase that had broken in the earthquake and put them together with glue. Walter, his own meal finished, watched her and listened to her talking.

'Of course, it's terrible for Annie, alone in that old house,' he heard her say to his father, 'but she seemed very brave about it.'

Brave? Mr Blakiston said. 'She's probably damn pleased about it. 「彼女はおそらくそれについて非常に満足しています. For ten years and more, she's been shut in that house taking care of that old woman. 十年以上、あの家に引きこもり、あの老婆の世話をしている。 She'll have a chance to marry now.'

'I don t think she's the kind of woman who gets married.' 「彼女は結婚するような女性ではないと思います。」

'Don't you believe it. 「信じないでください。 I hear more than you do,' said Mr Blakiston. 私はあなたよりもよく耳にします」とブラキストン氏は言いました。

'Does Joe Sleaver ride a dark brown horse?' 「ジョー・スリーバーはこげ茶色の馬に乗りますか?」 Walter asked suddenly.

Mr Blakiston looked surprised. He took his pipe from between his lips and studied it before he answered. 彼は唇の間からパイプを取り、答える前にそれを調べました。 'Yes,' he said, 'I think he does.'

Walter, warned Mrs Blakiston, 'you remember what I said to you today, about not asking questions, don't you?' ウォルターは、ブラキストン夫人に警告しました。

'I only meant-' began Walter, and stopped. 「私が言いたかったのは――」ウォルターは言い始め、そして止めた。

'What's this about? What are you two talking about?' 二人は何について話しているのですか? said Mr Blakiston. 'Why shouldn't Joe Sleaver ride a brown horse if he wants to?' 「ジョー・スリーバーは、乗りたいのに茶色の馬に乗るべきではないのはなぜですか?」

'Walter thinks that he saw a dark brown horse tied to the Duncaster's' verandah this morning,' explained his mother.

'I did see it,' cried Walter. 'Mum saw it too!'

His father and mother looked at each other. Then, with his pipe in his mouth, Mr Blakiston reached forward and picked up a piece of the china vase. 'Well,' he said, smiling as he spoke, 'well, we don't have earthquakes every night.' 「そうですね」と彼は話しながら微笑みながら言った。

'I did see the horse,' Walter said again. Why did his parents want to stop him finding things out? なぜ彼の両親は彼が物事を発見するのを止めたかったのですか? All older people were the same. 'I did see the horse.'

'Of course, you saw the damn horse!' 「もちろん、あなたはいまいましい馬を見ました!」 said his father suddenly. 'Be quiet about it, that's all.' To his wife he said, more quietly, 'I was thinking yesterday, you know, I shall probably never go back to the Old Country. 彼は妻に、もっと静かに言った。 It's too far away now, too long ago.'

- THE END -