Peo’s friends have gone back to the village and the house is quiet. I fall asleep on the sofa but am woken by dragging footsteps outside, fumbling at the handle. My mouth dries. There will be weapons I can use in the kitchen: a knife on the draining-board, a bottle in the fridge. Before I can edge halfway across the room the front door opens and Adam stumbles in. His bloodshot eyes stare blankly at my face, as if he doesn’t recognize me. He sinks heavily into a chair; my heart slows as I kneel next to him. He shakes his head. His cheeks are the colour of putty; even his lips look bleached, like those of a patient who has been bleeding for a long time. After a few moments, Elisabeth brings warmed-up food and a glass of water; she must have been waiting patiently in the kitchen all this time. Adam balances the plate on his lap as he explains what happened. ‘Finding the hospital was easy.’ The hands on the knife and fork tremble; I doubt it was easy. The roads would have been difficult to navigate, the signposts few and far between.
What do You think about The Drowning Lesson (2015)?
