Two Sisters (2) Dos hermanas (2) Deux sœurs (2) 二人の姉妹 (2) 두 자매 (2) Дві сестри (2)

'No. But she is all I have. And she has been very good to me.'

'Well, it's her duty. A sister's duty.'

'Then it's my duty, a sister's duty, to tell her about something like this. I may get into trouble.'

'Don't be silly,' he said. 'I normally take good care of my girlfriends.'

'I see,' she said, and for the first time in the one month since she agreed to be this man's lover, the tears which suddenly rose into her eyes came there naturally.

'And you promised you wouldn't tell her.' It was Father's voice now.

'Don't be angry. After all, she was sure to hear it one day.' Koneckonců, jednoho dne to určitě uslyší.

'My darling, you are too wise. "Miláčku, jsi příliš moudrý. What did she say?' Co říkala?

'She wasn't happy.'

'Don't worry. Find out something she wants very much but cannot get in this country.'

'I know for sure she wants an electric motor for her sewing machine.'

'Mm. I am going to London next week on government business, so if you bring me the details of the machine, I shall get her the motor.'

'Thank you.'

'Oh, and let me know as soon as you want to leave your sister's place. I have got you one of the government houses.'

'Oh... oh,' she said, pleased for the first time since this awful day had begun. "Ach... ach," řekla a poprvé od začátku tohoto strašného dne se zaradovala.

Down on the beach, the old Sea slides up and down the sands. He takes no notice of humans. Lidí si nevšímá. He has seen things happen along these beaches. Na těchto plážích viděl, co se děje. Different things. The same things. He never does anything about them. Nikdy s nimi nic nedělá. Why should he? Proč by měl? People are unimportant. Here is a fifty-year-old 'big man' who thinks he is somebody. Tady je padesátiletý "velký muž", který si myslí, že je někdo. And a twenty-three-year-old child who chooses a silly way to fight life's problems. As they play with each other's bodies on the back seat of the car, the old Sea shuts his eyes, bored. Zatímco si na zadním sedadle auta hrají s těly toho druhého, starý Sea znuděně zavírá oči. He moves further up the sands, but the car is parked safely away from the sea, and the rising water cannot reach its tyres.

James has come home late. But then he has been coming back late for the past few weeks. Connie is crying and he knows it as soon as he enters the bedroom. Connie pláče a on to pozná, jakmile vstoupí do ložnice. He hates tears, because, like many men, he knows they are one of the strongest weapons that women have.

'James.'

'Oh, are you still awake?' "Jsi ještě vzhůru? He quickly sits beside her. 'Connie, what's the matter? You've been crying again.' Už zase pláčeš.

'James, where were you?'

'Connie, I have warned you about this. "Connie, varoval jsem tě před tím. I won't let you question me like a prisoner every time I am a little late.' Nenechám se vyslýchat jako vězeň pokaždé, když se trochu opozdím.

She sat up. 'A little late! It is nearly two o'clock.'

'Anyway, you won't believe me if I tell you the truth.'

She lies down again and turns her face to the wall, and James throws himself down beside her. Znovu si lehne a otočí se tváří ke zdi a James se vrhne vedle ní.

'James, there is something much more serious.'

'You have heard about my newest affair?'

'Yes, but that is not what I am talking about.'

'Jesus, is it possible that there is anything more important than that?'

And as they laugh, they know that something has happened. A když se smějí, vědí, že se něco stalo. One of those things which, with luck, will keep them together for some time to come. Jedna z těch věcí, které je s trochou štěstí ještě nějakou dobu udrží pohromadě.

'But James, what shall I do?'

'About what?'

'Mercy. She is having an affair with Mensar-Arthur.' Má poměr s Mensarem-Arturem.

'Wonderful.'

'James, we must do something about it. It's very serious.'

'Why shouldn't she?' "Proč by neměla?

'But it is wrong. And she is ruining herself.' A ničí se.

'Since every other girl she knows has ruined herself and made money out of it, why shouldn't she? "Když se každá jiná holka, kterou zná, zničila a vydělala na tom, proč by nemohla ona? Her friends don't earn any more than she does, but every day they wear new dresses, shoes, and so on, to work. Její kamarádky nevydělávají o nic víc než ona, ale každý den chodí do práce v nových šatech, botách a podobně. What do you expect her to do?'

'The fact that other girls do it doesn't mean that Mercy should do it too.'

'You're being very silly. If I were Mercy, I am sure that's exactly what I would do. Kdybych byl Mercy, určitě bych udělal přesně to. And you know I mean it, too.' James is cruel. James je krutý. Terrible. Mean. Průměr. Connie breaks into fresh tears, and James puts his arm around her. Connie se rozpláče a James ji obejme. There is one thing he must make her understand, though.

'In fact, tell her to stay with him. He may be able to speak to someone in your government office so that after the baby is born you can keep your job there.'

'James, you want me to use my sister!'

'She is using herself, remember.'

'James, you are terrible.'

'And maybe he would even agree to get us a new car from abroad. "A možná by dokonce souhlasil s tím, že nám pořídí nové auto ze zahraničí. I shall pay for everything, but that would be better than that old car I was thinking about. Think of that.'

'You will ride in it alone.' "Pojedeš v něm sám.

'Well...'

That was a few months before the coup. To bylo několik měsíců před převratem. Mensar-Arthur did go to London and bought something for all his wives and girlfriends. Mensar-Arthur skutečně odjel do Londýna a koupil něco pro všechny své ženy a přítelkyně. He even remembered the motor for Connie's machine. When Mercy took it to her, she was quite confused. Když jí ho Mercy vzala, byla dost zmatená. She had wanted this thing for a long time, and yet one side of her said that accepting it was wrong. Po téhle věci toužila už dlouho, ale jedna její stránka jí říkala, že přijmout ji je špatné. She could not discuss the whole business with Mercy, and James always took Mercy's side. Nemohla s Mercy o celé záležitosti mluvit a James se vždy postavil na Mercyinu stranu. She took the motor with thanks; the price she paid was her silence about Mercy. Motor přijala s díky; cenou, kterou za to zaplatila, bylo její mlčení o Mercy. In a short while, Mercy left the house to go and live in the government house that Mensar-Arthur had managed to get for her. Za chvíli Mercy opustila dům a odešla bydlet do vládního domu, který pro ni Mensar-Arthur sehnal.

Then, a couple of weeks later, the coup. Mercy left her new place before anybody could throw her out. Mercy opustila své nové bydliště dřív, než ji někdo stačil vyhodit. James never got his car. Connie's new baby was born. Of the three, Connie was happiest with these changes. Connie byla s těmito změnami ze všech tří nejspokojenější. In her eyes, Mensar-Arthur and everything that went with him meant trouble for her sister and for her own feelings too. V jejích očích znamenal Mensar-Arthur a vše, co s ním souviselo, potíže pro její sestru a také pro její vlastní city. Now things could return to normal. Mercy would move back to the house, perhaps find a man who was more - ordinary, let's say. Mercy by se vrátila do domu a možná by si našla muže, který by byl - řekněme - obyčejnější. Then she would get married and these terrible times would be forgotten. God is good, he brought the coup before her sister's affair became widely known and ruined her name... Bůh je dobrý, provedl převrat dřív, než se aféra její sestry stala všeobecně známou a zničila její jméno...

The arrival of the new baby has ended all the difficulties between James and Connie. Příchodem dítěte skončily všechny potíže mezi Jamesem a Connie. He is that kind of man, and she that kind of woman. Mercy has not been seen for many days. Connie is beginning to get worried...

James heard the baby's loud cries the moment he opened the front gate. He ran in, holding the few things he had bought on his way home. Vběhl dovnitř a v ruce držel pár věcí, které si cestou domů koupil.

'We are in here,' called Connie.

'I certainly could hear you. If there is anything people in this country have, it is a big mouth.' Jestli lidé v této zemi něco mají, pak je to velká huba.

'Don't I agree? But we're well. He's eating normally and everything. You?'

'Nothing new. More stories about the ex-politicians.'

'What do you mean, nothing new?' "Jak to myslíš, nic nového? said Connie. 'Look at the excellent job the soldiers have done, cleaning up the country of all that dirt. I feel free already and I can't wait to get out and enjoy it.'

James laughed bitterly. 'All I know is that Mensar-Arthur is in prison. No use. And I'm not getting my car.'

'I never took you seriously on that car business.'

'Honestly, Connie, don't you want me, your husband, to be successful and get rich?'

'Not out of my sister's ruin.' "Ne ze zkázy mé sestry.

'Ruin, ruin, ruin! Christ! See, Connie, the funny thing is that I am sure you are the only person who thought it was a disaster to have a sister who was the girlfriend of a big man.' Víš, Connie, vtipné je, že jsem si jistá, že jsi jediná, kdo si myslí, že mít sestru, která je přítelkyní velkého muže, je katastrofa.

'Okay; now all is over, and don't let's argue about it.' 'Was it you who arranged the coup, I wonder? "Byl jsi to ty, kdo ten převrat zorganizoval? Just because of your sister? Jen kvůli tvé sestře? It wouldn't surprise me.'

And Connie wondered why he said that with so much bitterness. A Connie se divila, proč to říká s takovou hořkostí. She wondered if...

'Has Mercy been here?' "Byla tu Mercy? asked James.

'Not yet, later, maybe. Mm. I had hoped she would move back here and start all over again.' Doufal jsem, že se sem vrátí a začne znovu.

'I am not surprised she hasn't. In fact, if I were her, I wouldn't come back here either. Na jejím místě bych se sem už nevrátil. Not to listen to endless good advice from big sister, no thank you.' Ne poslouchat nekonečné dobré rady od starší sestry, ne, děkuji.

'Mercy is my only sister. I can't sit and see her life going wrong without feeling it. I'm grateful that something put a stop to that. Jsem vděčný, že tomu něco učinilo přítrž. What worries me now is that she won't tell me where she's living. Teď mi dělá starosti, že mi nechce říct, kde bydlí. She talks about a girlfriend but I'm not sure that I know her.'

'If I were you, I would stop worrying because it seems Mercy can take care of herself quite well,' said James. "Být tebou, přestal bych si dělat starosti, protože se zdá, že Mercy se o sebe umí postarat docela dobře," řekl James.

Then there was the sound of a car stopping outside the house. Pak se ozval zvuk auta, které zastavilo před domem. Ah, but the footsteps were unmistakably Mercy's. Are those shoes the old pair which were new a couple of months ago? Jsou to ty staré boty, které byly před pár měsíci nové? Or are they the newest pair? Nebo je to nejnovější pár? And here she is herself, the pretty one. A tady je ona sama, ta krásná. A happy, smiling Mercy.

'Hello, hello, my people!' And she goes straight to the baby. A jde rovnou za dítětem. 'Dow-dah-dee-day! "Dow-dah-dee-day! How's my dear young man today? Grow up fast and come to take care of Auntie Mercy.' Rychle dospěj a přijď se postarat o tetu Mercy.

Both Connie and James cannot take their eyes off her. Connie i James z ní nemohou spustit oči. Connie says, 'He says to Auntie Mercy he is fine.' Connie říká: "Říká tetě Mercy, že je mu dobře.

Still they watch her, horrified, and wondering what it's all about. Stále ji zděšeně pozorují a přemýšlejí, co to má znamenat. Because they both know it is about something.

'Listen, people, I brought a friend to meet you. A man.'

'Where is he?' from James.

'Bring him in,' from Connie.

'You know, Sissie, you are a new mother. I thought I'd come and ask you if it's all right.' Napadlo mě, že se tě přijdu zeptat, jestli je to v pořádku.

'Of course,' say James and Connie, and for some reason they are both afraid of what is coming. "Samozřejmě," řeknou James a Connie a z nějakého důvodu se oba bojí toho, co přijde.

'He is Captain Ashley.'

'Which one?'

'How many do you know?'

James still thinks it is impossible. 'Eh... do you mean the army officer who has just been given the job of... of...' "Eh... myslíte toho armádního důstojníka, který právě dostal úkol... z...

'Yes.'

'Wasn't there a picture in The Crystal over the weekend of his daughter's wedding? "Nebyla o víkendu v The Crystal fotka ze svatby jeho dcery? And another one of him with his wife and children and grandchildren?' said James.

'Yes,' said Mercy.

Connie just sits there with her mouth open that wide... Connie tam jen sedí s pusou otevřenou dokořán...

- THE END -