×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

E-Books (english-e-reader), Sister Love

Sister Love

Marcia met Howard Collins at church. Marcia was thirty-five years old, Howard was forty-one. Howard lived with his mother in a small house on the south side of the town. Marcia lived with her sister and father in an apartment, three streets away.

Marcia did not work. Her father, George Grant, was ill and never left the apartment. He stayed in bed most of the time and always needed somebody with him. So Marcia stayed at home with her father, and only went out when her sister Karin was in the house.

The two sisters were very different. Marcia was short with a small round face and short black hair. Karin was ten years younger. She was tall, had long brown hair, and good legs, and a suntan all through the summer. People often said to Marcia, 'Your sister is very beautiful.' There were always lots of men ready to take Karin out to dinner or to the cinema. But Marcia stayed at home.

Karin worked in a shop in the town. When she was at home, she liked to sit up on the roof garden of their apartment building.

It was one Sunday in May when Marcia came home with Howard the first time. She took him to see her father. George Grant was in bed. He had grey hair and a grey face. Sometimes he read a book, but mostly he just sat in bed and watched television.

'This is Howard, father,' Marcia said. 'He works at the hospital, and we met at church. I told you about him last week. Do you remember?'

'No,' her father said. And he turned his face away, back to his television. He was not interested in new people or his daughters' friends.

Just then, Karin came into the room. She wore a white bikini and white shoes. She smiled at Howard.

'So you're Howard,' she said. 'My big sister has got a boyfriend at last!'

Howard's face went red and he looked down at his feet.

Karin laughed. 'Come on up to the roof garden and have some wine. The sun is wonderful this morning.'

'Oh, I...' Howard began.

Marcia looked angrily at her sister. But then she said, 'Yes, I must get father a drink. See you in a minute, Howard. Go up to the roof and talk to Karin.'

The sun was hot on the roof and Howard took off his coat. He looked around. There were three chairs, a sun umbrella, a sunbed, and a table with three glasses and a bottle of wine on it. There were tiles on the floor, and next to the little wall around the edge of the roof, there were some flowers in boxes. This was the 'garden'.

'Very nice,' said Howard.

Karin smiled at him.

'We don't see many good-looking men up here,' she said. 'Sit down and have a drink.'

Howard's face went red again. He gave a shy little laugh. 'Oh, er... thank you,' he said. He tried not to look at Karin's long suntanned legs, but it was not easy.

'I come up here all the time when it's sunny,' Karin said. She began to put suntan oil on her arms and legs.

Howard watched.

Then Marcia arrived, and the three of them sat in the sun and drank wine. Marcia looked at Howard with love in her eyes. She did not look at Karin.

Karin watched them. Her eyes went from her sister, to Howard, and back again to her sister. She smiled.

It was not a nice smile.

Every Sunday morning after that, Marcia brought Howard home for a glass of wine after church. Howard stopped his car in the street outside the apartment building, and Marcia said, 'Sound the horn, Howard. Tell Karin we're here, then she can get the wine ready.'

So Howard gave three little toots on his car horn. On sunny days, Karin always came to the wall at the edge of the roof, and looked over to wave at them. Then she went to get the wine.

She always wore her bikini or a very short skirt. Marcia never wore short skirts or a bikini.

'My legs are too fat for bikinis,' she told Howard. 'Your legs are... very nice,' he said shyly.

One day in June Karin asked Howard, 'What time do you finish work, Howard?'

'About six o'clock,' he said.

'Could you bring me home after work?' Karin said. 'My shop's very near the hospital - you drive right past it. And you only live three streets away from us.'

'There's a very good bus,' said Marcia quickly. 'It stops outside our building.'

'But the bus is so slow!' Karin said. 'Please, Howard!'

Howard looked from one sister to the other. 'Oh, well... er, yes, all right then,' he said.

'Thank you!' Karin said, and gave him a quick kiss.

So every evening Howard drove Karin home. On the first Friday, they were an hour late. When they arrived, Marcia was at the door of the apartment building.

'What happened?' she asked. 'Why are you so late?'

'There was an accident,' Karin said. 'Three cars, all across the road - on that hill by the cinema, you know. We couldn't get past, we couldn't go back. There were so many cars! Nobody could move!'

Howard said nothing.

It was a long, hot summer that year. Marcia went to church every Sunday morning, and Karin stayed at home with their father. When it was sunny - and it often was - Karin went up to her sunbed on the roof.

When Marcia went up to the roof garden, she always sat under the umbrella. But Karin put on lots of suntan oil and sat in the sun in her bikini.

'The hot sun's not good for your body,' Marcia said. Karin laughed. 'Howard likes my body.'

'No, he doesn't!' Marcia said angrily.

'Oh, he does!' Karin said. 'He's very shy with women, but he always looks at my body very carefully. He does it all the time. Perhaps he wants me to take off-'

'Stop it, Karin!' Marcia said. 'Don't say those things!' Karin laughed. 'What's the matter, big sister? Are you afraid I'm going to take him from you?'

Marcia did not answer.

The next Sunday, Howard phoned Marcia early in the morning.

'I - I don't feel very well,' he said. 'I'm not going to church today.'

'My love, I'm sorry,' Marcia said. 'Can I phone you when I get home?'

'Yes, of course,' he said.

'I can't phone before one o'clock,' Marcia said. 'I'm going to be late back because there's a meeting after church. Something about Africa, I think.'

'Oh yes, I remember,' Howard said.

But Marcia was wrong. There was no meeting after church that morning. It was the next Sunday. So she left church at the usual time and arrived home at a quarter to twelve.

First, she went in to see her father, but he was asleep. Then she phoned Howard, but there was no answer.

'Perhaps he's sleeping,' she thought. 'And his mother doesn't want to answer the phone.'

She went to her room and put on a long summer skirt. Then she went up to the roof garden.

She put her hand on the door to the roof... and stopped. The door was half open and she could hear voices. There was someone with Karin.

A man. Howard. Howard? Marcia listened.

'I feel bad about this,' Howard said. 'We must tell Marcia soon, Karin.'

'No!' Karin said quickly. She gave a little laugh. 'It's our secret, Howard. Only for a little longer. All right?'

'I - I don't like...' he began.

'But you do love me, Howard,' Karin said. 'Not Marcia? Say you love me. Please!'

Marcia suddenly felt cold.

'You... you know I do,' Howard answered. 'But-'

Karin kissed him. 'It's our little secret. Oh, is your car outside, my love? We don't want Marcia to see it.'

'I didn't bring my car,' Howard said. 'I walked here.'

'Good,' Karin said. 'But it's getting late. You must go, before she comes home.'

They kissed again.

'See you tomorrow, usual time, usual place,' said Karin. 'Now, go!'

Marcia moved quickly and quietly away from the roof door, and ran to her bedroom. She did not want Howard or Karin to see her.

She heard their voices. Then the front door of the apartment opened and closed. Howard was gone.

Marcia sat on her bed for an hour. 'Why, why, why?' she thought. 'Why does she do it? I stay at home with an old man all the time. I can't go out to work, I can't make new friends, I can't meet new people. I go shopping once a week and I go to church once a week. That's all. And then I met Howard. When he said "I love you", I was so happy. And now...?'

Karin had everything. Good looks, a job, friends. She was young, she was beautiful, she could have any man. So why Howard? Why, why, why?

'It's not because she wants him,' Marcia thought. 'It's because I love him. It's because she doesn't want me to be happy.'

But you do love me, Howard. Not Marcia?

You know I do.

Was it true? Did Howard love Karin and not her? No! He saw only the beautiful, suntanned body. He didn't know her.

'She's not going to have him...' Marcia thought.

Every evening that week, Howard drove Karin home after work. And every evening they got later and later.

The next Sunday, Marcia didn't go to church.

'I've got a bad head,' she told Karin. 'I just phoned Howard and told him, and he's coming here after church as usual. I'm going back to sleep for an hour or two.' And she went into her bedroom and shut the door.

Later in the morning, when Karin was with their father, Marcia went up to the roof garden. Karin's bottle of suntan oil was on the table, and Marcia smiled.

When Karin came up to the roof, Marcia was in her chair under the umbrella with a book in her hand.

'Oh, is your head better?' Karin asked.

'Yes, thanks,' Marcia said.

Karin wore her bikini, a new yellow one. She opened her bottle of suntan oil.

'Oh, there's not much here,' she said. 'I must get some more.' She began to put some oil on her legs.

Twenty minutes later, Howard stopped his car in the street below. Up on the roof, Karin and Marcia heard the usual three little toots on his car horn.

'He's here,' Karin said excitedly. 'Your man's here, big sister!' And she laughed.

Yes, Marcia thought. My man, not yours, Karin.

Karin jumped up from her sunbed. She ran to the wall at the edge of the roof to look down and wave to Howard. She had no shoes on, and at the wall, her feet suddenly slipped away from under her.

'Aaagh!' she cried.

She fell forward, and put out her hands to grab the wall. But the top of the wall was slippery too. Her hands could not hold it, and slipped away, off the wall, over the edge. And her body went on too, over the edge of the wall, and down...

Down... down... down...

Before she hit the ground, she knew.

Slippery... suntan oil... Marcia...

- THE END -


Sister Love Sestra Láska Schwester Liebe Amor de Hermana L'amour fraternel シスター・ラブ 자매 사랑 Siostrzana miłość Amor de irmã Сестра Любов 姐妹情深 姐妹情

Marcia met Howard Collins at church. Marcia potkala Howarda Collinse v kostele. Marcia conoció a Howard Collins en la iglesia. Marcia was thirty-five years old, Howard was forty-one. Marcii bylo třicet pět let, Howardovi jednačtyřicet. Howard lived with his mother in a small house on the south side of the town. Howard žil se svou matkou v malém domě na jižní straně města. Howard vivia com a sua mãe numa pequena casa na zona sul da cidade. Marcia lived with her sister and father in an apartment, three streets away. Marcia bydlela se svou sestrou a otcem v bytě o tři ulice dál. Marcia vivía con su hermana y su padre en un apartamento, a tres calles de distancia.

Marcia did not work. Marcia nefungovala. A Márcia não trabalhava. Her father, George Grant, was ill and never left the apartment. Její otec, George Grant, byl nemocný a nikdy neopustil byt. Su padre, George Grant, estaba enfermo y no salía del apartamento. 父親のジョージ・グラントは病気で、アパートから出ることはなかった。 He stayed in bed most of the time and always needed somebody with him. Většinu času zůstával v posteli a vždy potřeboval někoho s sebou. So Marcia stayed at home with her father, and only went out when her sister Karin was in the house. Marcia tedy zůstala doma se svým otcem a ven chodila, jen když byla v domě její sestra Karin. Así que Marcia se quedaba en casa con su padre, y sólo salía cuando su hermana Karin estaba en casa. それで、マルシアは父親と一緒に家にいて、妹のカリンが家にいるときだけ出かけました。

The two sisters were very different. Obě sestry byly velmi odlišné. 二人の姉妹はとても対照的でした。 Marcia was short with a small round face and short black hair. Marcia byla nízké postavy s malým kulatým obličejem a krátkými černými vlasy. Marcia era bajita, de cara pequeña y redonda y pelo negro corto. マーシャは背が低く、小さな丸い顔に短い黒髪だった。 Karin was ten years younger. Karin byla o deset let mladší. She was tall, had long brown hair, and good legs, and a suntan all through the summer. Byla vysoká, měla dlouhé hnědé vlasy a dobré nohy a celé léto byla opálená. Era alta, tenía el pelo largo y castaño, buenas piernas y estaba bronceada todo el verano. 彼女は背が高く、長い茶色の髪と良い足を持っていて、夏の間ずっと日焼けしていました。 People often said to Marcia, 'Your sister is very beautiful.' Lidé často říkali Marcii: 'Vaše sestra je velmi krásná.' There were always lots of men ready to take Karin out to dinner or to the cinema. Vždy byla spousta mužů připravených vzít Karin na večeři nebo do kina. カリンを夕食や映画館に連れて行く準備ができている男性はいつもたくさんいました。 But Marcia stayed at home. Ale Marcia zůstala doma.

Karin worked in a shop in the town. Karin pracovala v obchodě ve městě. When she was at home, she liked to sit up on the roof garden of their apartment building. Když byla doma, ráda sedávala na střešní zahrádce jejich činžáku. Cuando estaba en casa, le gustaba sentarse en el jardín de la azotea de su edificio de apartamentos. 彼女が家にいるとき、彼女は彼らのアパートの屋上庭園に座るのが好きでした。

It was one Sunday in May when Marcia came home with Howard the first time. Byla to jedna květnová neděle, když se Marcia poprvé vrátila domů s Howardem. マルシアがハワードと一緒に初めて帰宅したのは5月のある日曜日でした。 She took him to see her father. Vzala ho za otcem. Lo llevó a ver a su padre. 彼女は彼を連れて父親に会いに行った。 George Grant was in bed. George Grant byl v posteli. He had grey hair and a grey face. Měl šedé vlasy a šedý obličej. Sometimes he read a book, but mostly he just sat in bed and watched television. Občas si četl knížku, ale většinou jen seděl v posteli a díval se na televizi. 彼は本を読むこともありましたが、ほとんどの場合、ベッドに座ってテレビを見ました。

'This is Howard, father,' Marcia said. "To je Howard, otče," řekla Marcia. 'He works at the hospital, and we met at church. „Pracuje v nemocnici a potkali jsme se v kostele. I told you about him last week. Řekl jsem ti o něm minulý týden. 私は先週彼についてあなたに話しました。 Do you remember?' Pamatuješ si?'

'No,' her father said. "Ne," řekl její otec. And he turned his face away, back to his television. A odvrátil tvář zpátky ke své televizi. Y volvió la cara, de nuevo a su televisor. そして彼は顔をそむけてテレビに戻った。 He was not interested in new people or his daughters' friends. Nezajímali ho noví lidé ani přátelé svých dcer. 彼は新しい人や娘の友達には興味がありませんでした。

Just then, Karin came into the room. V tu chvíli do pokoje vešla Karin. She wore a white bikini and white shoes. Měla na sobě bílé bikiny a bílé boty. 彼女は白いビキニと白い靴を履いていました。 She smiled at Howard. Usmála se na Howarda.

'So you're Howard,' she said. "Takže ty jsi Howard," řekla. 'Demek sen Howard'sın,' dedi. 'My big sister has got a boyfriend at last!' "Moje starší sestra má konečně přítele!" 「姉がついに彼氏になりました！」 "Ablamın sonunda bir erkek arkadaşı oldu!

Howard's face went red and he looked down at his feet. Howardův obličej zrudl a podíval se na své nohy.

Karin laughed. Karin se zasmála. 'Come on up to the roof garden and have some wine. „Pojď nahoru na střešní zahradu a dej si víno. Sube al jardín de la azotea y tómate un vino. The sun is wonderful this morning.' Slunce je dnes ráno nádherné.“

'Oh, I...' Howard began. "Ach, já..." začal Howard.

Marcia looked angrily at her sister. Marcia se naštvaně podívala na svou sestru. マルシアは怒ったように姉を見た。 But then she said, 'Yes, I must get father a drink. Ale pak řekla: ‚Ano, musím dát otci drink. しかし、それから彼女は言いました、「はい、私は父に飲み物を飲まなければなりません。 See you in a minute, Howard. Uvidíme se za chvíli, Howarde. またね、ハワード。 Go up to the roof and talk to Karin.' Jdi nahoru na střechu a promluv si s Karin.“ 屋上に上がってカリンと話してください。

The sun was hot on the roof and Howard took off his coat. Slunce pálilo na střechu a Howard si svlékl kabát. He looked around. Rozhlédl se. There were three chairs, a sun umbrella, a sunbed, and a table with three glasses and a bottle of wine on it. Byly tam tři židle, slunečník, lehátko a stůl se třemi skleničkami a lahví vína. There were tiles on the floor, and next to the little wall around the edge of the roof, there were some flowers in boxes. Na podlaze byly dlaždice a vedle zídky kolem okraje střechy byly nějaké květiny v truhlících. 床にはタイルが敷かれ、屋根の端にある小さな壁の横には、箱に入った花がいくつか置いてありました。 This was the 'garden'. Tohle byla ‚zahrada‘. これは「庭」でした。

'Very nice,' said Howard. "Velmi pěkné," řekl Howard.

Karin smiled at him. Karin se na něj usmála.

'We don't see many good-looking men up here,' she said. "Nevidíme tady moc dobře vypadajících mužů," řekla. 「ここにはかっこいい男性はあまりいない」と彼女は言った。 'Burada çok fazla yakışıklı erkek görmüyoruz,' dedi. 'Sit down and have a drink.' "Posaď se a napij se."

Howard's face went red again. Howardův obličej znovu zrudl. He gave a shy little laugh. Nesměle se zasmál. 彼は恥ずかしがり屋の小さな笑いをしました。 'Oh, er... thank you,' he said. "Ach, ehm... děkuji," řekl. He tried not to look at Karin's long suntanned legs, but it was not easy. Snažil se nedívat na Karininy dlouhé opálené nohy, ale nebylo to snadné. Intentó no mirar las largas piernas bronceadas de Karin, pero no fue fácil.

'I come up here all the time when it's sunny,' Karin said. "Chodím sem pořád, když je slunečno," řekla Karin. She began to put suntan oil on her arms and legs. Začala si mazat ruce a nohy opalovacím olejem. 彼女は腕と脚に日焼けオイルを塗り始めました。

Howard watched. Howard se díval. ハワードは見ました。

Then Marcia arrived, and the three of them sat in the sun and drank wine. Pak dorazila Marcia a všichni tři seděli na slunci a popíjeli víno. Marcia looked at Howard with love in her eyes. Marcia se na Howarda podívala s láskou v očích. She did not look at Karin. Na Karin se nepodívala.

Karin watched them. Karin je sledovala. Her eyes went from her sister, to Howard, and back again to her sister. Její oči se přesunuly od sestry k Howardovi a zase zpátky k sestře. 彼女の目は彼女の妹からハワードに行き、そして再び彼女の妹に戻った。 She smiled. Usmála se. 彼女は微笑んだ。

It was not a nice smile. Nebyl to hezký úsměv. いい笑顔ではありませんでした。

Every Sunday morning after that, Marcia brought Howard home for a glass of wine after church. Každou neděli ráno potom Marcia přivedla Howarda domů na sklenku vína po kostele. その後の毎週日曜日の朝、マルシアは教会の後にハワードをグラスワインのために家に持ち帰りました。 Howard stopped his car in the street outside the apartment building, and Marcia said, 'Sound the horn, Howard. Howard zastavil své auto na ulici před obytným domem a Marcia řekla: „Zatrub, Howarde. Howard je zaustavio svoj auto na ulici ispred stambene zgrade, a Marcia je rekla: »Trubi, Howarde. ハワードはアパートの外の通りで車を止め、マルシアは言った、「ホーンを鳴らして、ハワード。 Говард остановил машину на улице возле многоквартирного дома, и Марсия сказала: — Дай сигнал, Говард. Tell Karin we're here, then she can get the wine ready.' Řekni Karin, že jsme tady, a pak může připravit víno.“ カリンに私たちがここにいると言ってください。そうすれば、彼女はワインの準備をすることができます。」 Скажи Карин, что мы здесь, и она приготовит вино.

So Howard gave three little toots on his car horn. A tak Howard dal na klakson svého auta tři malé prcky. Tako je Howard tri puta zasvirao na sirenu svog automobila. Итак, Говард трижды щелкнул автомобильным гудком. On sunny days, Karin always came to the wall at the edge of the roof, and looked over to wave at them. Za slunečných dnů Karin vždy přišla ke zdi na okraji střechy a podívala se, aby jim zamávala. 晴れた日には、カリンはいつも屋根の端の壁にやって来て、手を振って見ました。 В солнечные дни Карин всегда подходила к стене на краю крыши и оглядывалась, чтобы помахать им. Then she went to get the wine. Pak šla pro víno.

She always wore her bikini or a very short skirt. Vždy nosila bikiny nebo velmi krátkou sukni. Marcia never wore short skirts or a bikini. Marcia nikdy nenosila krátké sukně ani bikiny.

'My legs are too fat for bikinis,' she told Howard. "Moje nohy jsou příliš tlusté na bikiny," řekla Howardovi. 'Your legs are... very nice,' he said shyly. "Tvoje nohy jsou... velmi pěkné," řekl stydlivě.

One day in June Karin asked Howard, 'What time do you finish work, Howard?' Jednoho červnového dne se Karin zeptala Howarda: "V kolik končíš v práci, Howarde?"

'About six o'clock,' he said. "Kolem šesté hodiny," řekl.

'Could you bring me home after work?' "Mohl bys mě po práci přivést domů?" Karin said. Karin řekla. 'My shop's very near the hospital - you drive right past it. "Můj obchod je velmi blízko nemocnice - jedete přímo kolem něj." 「私の店は病院のすぐ近くにあります-あなたはそれを通り過ぎて運転します。 And you only live three streets away from us.' A ty bydlíš jen tři ulice od nás.“ そして、あなたは私たちからたった3つの通りに住んでいます。

'There's a very good bus,' said Marcia quickly. "Je tu velmi dobrý autobus," řekla Marcia rychle. 「とても良いバスがあります」とマルシアはすぐに言いました。 'It stops outside our building.' "Zastavuje před naší budovou."

'But the bus is so slow!' "Ale autobus je tak pomalý!" Karin said. Karin řekla. 'Please, Howard!' "Prosím, Howarde!

Howard looked from one sister to the other. Howard se podíval z jedné sestry na druhou. 'Oh, well... er, yes, all right then,' he said. "Ach, no... ehm, ano, tak dobře," řekl.

'Thank you!' Karin said, and gave him a quick kiss. řekla Karin a dala mu rychlý polibek.

So every evening Howard drove Karin home. Tak každý večer Howard vezl Karin domů. Así que todas las noches Howard llevaba a Karin a casa. On the first Friday, they were an hour late. První pátek měli hodinu zpoždění. When they arrived, Marcia was at the door of the apartment building. Když dorazili, Marcia byla u dveří bytového domu. 彼らが到着したとき、マルシアはアパートの建物のドアにいました。

'What happened?' 'Co se stalo?' she asked. 'Why are you so late?' 'Proč jdeš tak pozdě?'

'There was an accident,' Karin said. "Došlo k nehodě," řekla Karin. 'Three cars, all across the road - on that hill by the cinema, you know. "Tři auta, přes celou silnici - na tom kopci u kina, víš." 'Tres coches, todos al otro lado de la carretera - en esa colina junto al cine, ya sabes. 'Tri auta, sve preko puta - na onom brdu kod kina, znaš. 「道路の向こう側にある3台の車-映画館のそばの丘の上にあります。 We couldn't get past, we couldn't go back. Nemohli jsme projít, nemohli jsme se vrátit. 私たちは通り抜けることができず、戻ることもできませんでした。 There were so many cars! Bylo tam tolik aut! Nobody could move!' Nikdo se nemohl pohnout!“

Howard said nothing. Howard neřekl nic.

It was a long, hot summer that year. Toho roku bylo dlouhé, horké léto. Marcia went to church every Sunday morning, and Karin stayed at home with their father. Marcia chodila každou neděli ráno do kostela a Karin zůstávala doma s jejich otcem. When it was sunny - and it often was - Karin went up to her sunbed on the roof. Když bylo slunečno - a to často bylo - Karin si stoupla na své lehátko na střeše. 晴れたとき、そしてしばしばそうだったとき、カリンは屋根の上のサンベッドに上がった。

When Marcia went up to the roof garden, she always sat under the umbrella. Když Marcia vyšla na střešní zahradu, vždy seděla pod deštníkem. But Karin put on lots of suntan oil and sat in the sun in her bikini. Ale Karin se namazala spoustou oleje na opalování a seděla na slunci v bikinách.

'The hot sun's not good for your body,' Marcia said. "Horké slunce není dobré pro tvé tělo," řekla Marcia. Karin laughed. Karin se zasmála. 'Howard likes my body.' "Howard má rád mé tělo."

'No, he doesn't!' "Ne, nedělá!" Marcia said angrily. řekla Marcia naštvaně.

'Oh, he does!' "Ach, má!" Karin said. Karin řekla. 'He's very shy with women, but he always looks at my body very carefully. „Je velmi plachý k ženám, ale vždy se na mé tělo dívá velmi pečlivě. He does it all the time. Dělá to pořád. Perhaps he wants me to take off-' Možná chce, abych vzlétl-“ Možda želi da se skinem...' たぶん彼は私に離陸して欲しいのだろう-」 Возможно, он хочет, чтобы я уехал…

'Stop it, Karin!' "Přestaň, Karin!" Marcia said. Marcia řekla. 'Don't say those things!' "Neříkej ty věci!" Karin laughed. Karin se zasmála. 'What's the matter, big sister? „Co se děje, starší sestro? Are you afraid I'm going to take him from you?' Bojíš se, že ti ho vezmu?“ 私があなたから彼を連れて行くのを恐れていますか？」

Marcia did not answer. Marcia neodpověděla.

The next Sunday, Howard phoned Marcia early in the morning. Příští neděli Howard zavolal Marcii brzy ráno. 次の日曜日、ハワードは早朝にマルシアに電話をかけました。

'I - I don't feel very well,' he said. "Já - necítím se moc dobře," řekl. 'I'm not going to church today.' "Dnes do kostela nepůjdu."

'My love, I'm sorry,' Marcia said. "Lásko, je mi to líto," řekla Marcia. 'Can I phone you when I get home?' "Můžu ti zavolat, až se vrátím domů?" 「家に帰ったら電話してもいいですか？」

'Yes, of course,' he said. "Ano, samozřejmě," řekl.

'I can't phone before one o'clock,' Marcia said. "Nemůžu zavolat před jednou hodinou," řekla Marcia. 「私は1時前に電話をかけることができません」とマルシアは言いました。 'I'm going to be late back because there's a meeting after church. „Vrátím se pozdě, protože po kostele je schůzka. 「教会の後に集会があるので、私は遅れるつもりです。 Something about Africa, I think.' Něco o Africe, myslím.“ アフリカについての何か、私は思います。」

'Oh yes, I remember,' Howard said. "Ach ano, vzpomínám si," řekl Howard.

But Marcia was wrong. Ale Marcia se mýlila. しかし、マルシアは間違っていました。 There was no meeting after church that morning. Ráno po kostele nebylo žádné setkání. その朝、教会の後に集会はありませんでした。 It was the next Sunday. Byla další neděle. So she left church at the usual time and arrived home at a quarter to twelve. Odešla tedy z kostela v obvyklou dobu a domů dorazila ve čtvrt na dvanáct. それで彼女はいつもの時間に教会を去り、四分の一から十二時に家に着きました。

First, she went in to see her father, but he was asleep. Nejprve šla za otcem, ale ten spal. Then she phoned Howard, but there was no answer. Pak zavolala Howardovi, ale žádná odpověď.

'Perhaps he's sleeping,' she thought. "Možná spí," pomyslela si. 'And his mother doesn't want to answer the phone.' "A jeho matka nechce zvedat telefon."

She went to her room and put on a long summer skirt. Odešla do svého pokoje a oblékla si dlouhou letní sukni. Then she went up to the roof garden. Pak šla nahoru na střešní zahradu.

She put her hand on the door to the roof... and stopped. Položila ruku na dveře na střechu... a zastavila se. The door was half open and she could hear voices. Dveře byly pootevřené a ona slyšela hlasy. There was someone with Karin. Někdo tam byl s Karin.

A man. Muž. Howard. Howard? Marcia listened. Marcia poslouchala.

'I feel bad about this,' Howard said. "Je mi z toho špatně," řekl Howard. 'We must tell Marcia soon, Karin.' "Musíme to brzy říct Marcii, Karin."

'No!' "Ne! Karin said quickly. řekla Karin rychle. She gave a little laugh. Trochu se zasmála. 'It's our secret, Howard. "Je to naše tajemství, Howarde." Only for a little longer. Jen o něco déle. もう少しだけ。 All right?' Dobře?'

'I - I don't like...' he began. "Já - nemám rád..." začal.

'But you do love me, Howard,' Karin said. "Ale miluješ mě, Howarde," řekla Karin. 'Not Marcia? „Ne Marcia? 「マルシアじゃないの？ Say you love me. Řekni, že mě miluješ. Please!' Prosím!

Marcia suddenly felt cold. Marcia najednou cítila chlad.

'You... you know I do,' Howard answered. "Ty... ty víš, že ano," odpověděl Howard. 「あなた...あなたは私がそうすることを知っている」とハワードは答えた。 'But-' "Ale...

Karin kissed him. Karin ho políbila. 'It's our little secret. „Je to naše malé tajemství. Oh, is your car outside, my love? Oh, je tvoje auto venku, má lásko? ああ、あなたの車は外にありますか、私の愛ですか？ We don't want Marcia to see it.' Nechceme, aby to Marcia viděla.“ マルシアに見られたくないのです。」

'I didn't bring my car,' Howard said. "Nepřivezl jsem auto," řekl Howard. 「私は自分の車を持ってこなかった」とハワードは言った。 'I walked here.' "Chodil jsem sem."

'Good,' Karin said. "Dobrá," řekla Karin. 'But it's getting late. „Ale už je pozdě. 「しかし、それは遅くなっています。 You must go, before she comes home.' Musíte jít, než se vrátí domů.“ 彼女が家に帰る前に、あなたは行かなければなりません。」

They kissed again. Znovu se políbili.

'See you tomorrow, usual time, usual place,' said Karin. "Uvidíme se zítra v obvyklou dobu, na obvyklém místě," řekla Karin. 'Now, go!' 'Teď jdi!'

Marcia moved quickly and quietly away from the roof door, and ran to her bedroom. Marcia se rychle a tiše vzdálila od střešních dveří a běžela do své ložnice. She did not want Howard or Karin to see her. Nechtěla, aby ji Howard nebo Karin viděli.

She heard their voices. Slyšela jejich hlasy. Then the front door of the apartment opened and closed. Pak se otevřely a zavřely vchodové dveře bytu. Howard was gone. Howard byl pryč.

Marcia sat on her bed for an hour. Marcia seděla hodinu na posteli. マルシアはベッドに1時間座った。 'Why, why, why?' "Proč, proč, proč? she thought. pomyslela. 'Why does she do it? "Proč to dělá?" I stay at home with an old man all the time. Celou dobu zůstávám doma se starým mužem. I can't go out to work, I can't make new friends, I can't meet new people. Nemůžu chodit do práce, nemůžu si najít nové přátele, nemůžu poznat nové lidi. I go shopping once a week and I go to church once a week. Jednou týdně chodím nakupovat a jednou týdně do kostela. That's all. To je vše. And then I met Howard. A pak jsem potkal Howarda. When he said "I love you", I was so happy. Když řekl "Miluji tě", byla jsem tak šťastná. And now...?' A teď...?'

Karin had everything. Karin měla všechno. Good looks, a job, friends. Dobrý vzhled, práce, přátelé. She was young, she was beautiful, she could have any man. Byla mladá, byla krásná, mohla mít každého muže. So why Howard? Tak proč Howarde? Why, why, why? Proč, proč, proč?

'It's not because she wants him,' Marcia thought. "Není to proto, že by ho chtěla," pomyslela si Marcia. 「それは彼女が彼を望んでいるからではない」とマルシアは思った。 'It's because I love him. 'To proto, že ho miluji. 「それは私が彼を愛しているからです。 It's because she doesn't want me to be happy.' Je to proto, že nechce, abych byl šťastný.“

But you do love me, Howard. Ale miluješ mě, Howarde. Not Marcia? Ne Marcia?

You know I do. Víš, že ano.

Was it true? byla to pravda? Did Howard love Karin and not her? Miloval Howard Karin a ne ji? ハワードは彼女ではなくカリンを愛していましたか？ No! Ne! He saw only the beautiful, suntanned body. Viděl jen to krásné, opálené tělo. 彼は美しい日焼けした体だけを見ました。 He didn't know her. Neznal ji.

'She's not going to have him...' Marcia thought. "Nebude ho mít..." pomyslela si Marcia. 「彼女は彼を連れて行くつもりはない...」マルシアは思った。

Every evening that week, Howard drove Karin home after work. Každý večer toho týdne Howard vozil Karin po práci domů. And every evening they got later and later. A každý večer se dostávali později a později. そして毎晩、彼らはどんどん遅くなっていきました。

The next Sunday, Marcia didn't go to church. Příští neděli Marcia nešla do kostela.

'I've got a bad head,' she told Karin. "Mám špatnou hlavu," řekla Karin. 「頭が悪い」と彼女はカリンに語った。 'I just phoned Howard and told him, and he's coming here after church as usual. "Právě jsem zavolal Howardovi a řekl mu to, a on sem přijde po kostele jako obvykle." 「私はハワードに電話して彼に話しました、そして彼はいつものように教会の後にここに来ています。 I'm going back to sleep for an hour or two.' Vrátím se na hodinu nebo dvě spát.“ And she went into her bedroom and shut the door. A vešla do své ložnice a zavřela dveře. そして彼女は寝室に入り、ドアを閉めました。

Later in the morning, when Karin was with their father, Marcia went up to the roof garden. Později ráno, když byla Karin s jejich otcem, šla Marcia na střešní zahradu. 朝遅く、カリンが父親と一緒にいたとき、マルシアは屋上庭園に上がった。 Karin's bottle of suntan oil was on the table, and Marcia smiled. Karinina láhev oleje na opalování ležela na stole a Marcia se usmála.

When Karin came up to the roof, Marcia was in her chair under the umbrella with a book in her hand. Když Karin vyšla na střechu, Marcia seděla v křesle pod deštníkem s knihou v ruce. カリンが屋根に上がったとき、マルシアは本を手に傘の下で椅子に座っていた。

'Oh, is your head better?' "Ach, je ti líp?" Karin asked. zeptala se Karin.

'Yes, thanks,' Marcia said. "Ano, děkuji," řekla Marcia.

Karin wore her bikini, a new yellow one. Karin měla na sobě bikiny, nové žluté. She opened her bottle of suntan oil. Otevřela lahvičku s opalovacím olejem.

'Oh, there's not much here,' she said. "Ach, tady toho moc není," řekla. 「ああ、ここにはあまりありません」と彼女は言った。 'I must get some more.' "Musím dostat ještě nějaké." She began to put some oil on her legs. Začala si mazat nohy olejem.

Twenty minutes later, Howard stopped his car in the street below. O dvacet minut později Howard zastavil své auto na ulici pod ním. Up on the roof, Karin and Marcia heard the usual three little toots on his car horn. Nahoře na střeše zaslechly Karin a Marcia obvyklé tři malé klaksony na klaksonu jeho auta.

'He's here,' Karin said excitedly. "Je tady," řekla Karin vzrušeně. 'Your man's here, big sister!' "Tvůj muž je tady, velká sestro!" And she laughed. A ona se smála.

Yes, Marcia thought. Ano, pomyslela si Marcia. My man, not yours, Karin. Můj muž, ne tvůj, Karin.

Karin jumped up from her sunbed. Karin vyskočila z lehátka. She ran to the wall at the edge of the roof to look down and wave to Howard. Běžela ke zdi na okraji střechy, podívala se dolů a zamávala Howardovi. She had no shoes on, and at the wall, her feet suddenly slipped away from under her. Neměla na sobě boty a u zdi jí najednou podklouzly nohy. No llevaba zapatos y, al llegar a la pared, los pies se le escaparon de repente. 彼女は靴を履いておらず、壁で彼女の足が突然彼女の下から滑り落ちた。

'Aaagh!' "Aaagh!" she cried. plakala.

She fell forward, and put out her hands to grab the wall. Spadla dopředu a natáhla ruce, aby se chytila zdi. Cayó hacia delante y extendió las manos para agarrarse a la pared. 彼女は前に倒れ、壁をつかむために手を出しました。 But the top of the wall was slippery too. Ale i vršek stěny byl kluzký. Pero la parte superior del muro también estaba resbaladiza. しかし、壁の上部も滑りやすかった。 Her hands could not hold it, and slipped away, off the wall, over the edge. Její ruce to neudržely a sklouzly pryč, ze zdi, přes okraj. Sus manos no pudieron sostenerlo y se deslizó fuera de la pared, por el borde. And her body went on too, over the edge of the wall, and down... A její tělo šlo také dál, přes okraj zdi a dolů... Y su cuerpo siguió también, sobre el borde de la pared, y abajo... そして、彼女の体も壁の端を越えて、そして下に行きました...

Down... down... down... Dolů...dolů...dolů... Abajo... abajo... abajo...

Before she hit the ground, she knew. Než dopadla na zem, věděla to. Antes de tocar el suelo, lo supo.

Slippery... suntan oil... Marcia... Kluzký... opalovací olej... Marcia... Resbaladizo... aceite bronceador... Marcia...

- THE END - - KONEC -