Diana Nevidal "The Door"

Agatha didn’t seem happy about this sudden mystery errand. It meant there was a risk of being stuck here longer than she would have liked. But what could she do? Not persecuting a man for having to do things for sure. She nodded and opened the car door, getting a handful of bracing fine snow in her face.

After aВ few more seconds ofВ fumbling, the two figures rushed toВ the entrance ofВ the building, above which hung aВ sign that looked really bright against the white ofВ the rest ofВ the world.

Arthur exhaled.

Being alone inВ the car was once again aВ pleasant feeling.

*_*

– Stomp your feet to knock the snow off.

The phrase came out too harsh. The tone did not match the content at all, but there was nothing Agatha could do aboutВ it.

– Change of clothes now.

The next phrase was said only when mother and son, reddened byВ the cold wind, made their way toВ the changing room.

Mark only let out aВ sullen В«uh-huhВ» inВ reply. Once he was inВ full readiness toВ go toВ class, he headed right towards the door toВ the hall without aВ word.

– Go.

Agatha said it inВ his back, but as if he went because she told him to, not because he was out ofВ control.

Automatically, the young woman began to gather and roll up her son’s clothes, and meanwhile tears began to gather in her eyes unabashedly.

No, you can’t. There are too many people around, you don’t want to spoil children’s mood before class. And I don’t want to draw too much attention either.

There were indeed still aВ few kids inВ the locker room, mostly with their mothers. Some[13 - Unbeknownst toВ anyone, anyone.] had even just arrived, at the risk ofВ being late for the warm-up.

Agatha packed her clothes and shoes into bags and went out into the hall. Fortunately, no one was here now, and this saved the girl from being torn from inside byВ her tears.

She fell on the seat, her head fell on her hand, and then the tears from her eyes fell into her palm. But most importantly, her heart. It had held on all the way here, and now it too had fallen. It had even rather fallen out and rolled somewhere under the radiator.

He did it out ofВ spite. On purpose.

Agatha gave herself aВ full thirty seconds ofВ weakness. Then she inhaled, exhaled, inhaled again. Fingers pressed her eyes toВ stop the salty flow, wiped surroundings.

Just in time – the locker room door opened and someone’s mother headed to the exit.

He knew this cup was my favourite. My cup. He deliberately wanted toВ hurt me. He could have reached for any cup, but he broke mine.

As soon as the front door began toВ close, the tears made another foray. This time Agatha could no longer afford this, so she carefully began toВ regain her breath again.

Well, he wanted toВ hurt me, and he did. Everybody does. Sooner or later. ToВ one person or another.

Inhale. Exhale.[14 - One separate pushing ofВ air out ofВ the lungs when breathing.] Inhale.

There are no people who have never encountered the cruelty inВ themselves. Only people who lie outrageously toВ others and toВ themselves can convince you otherwise. The question is what we do aboutВ it.

Even many adults do not know how toВ manage their anger. It has toВ be taught. Again, the question is how toВ teach it properly.

Breathe out. BreatheВ in.В In.В In.В In.

We’re quite lucky, in fact. Lucky it was a cup.

My favourite bloodyВ cup!

AВ nasty lump ofВ irrational resentment stirred inВ the back ofВ her throat again and began toВ creepВ up.

But a cup nonetheless. Could have been someone’s head in the kindergarten. Could have been a stray puppy. Could have been a wounded pigeon.

Inhaaaaaale.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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notes

Примечания

1

Now you’ve also read a fake footnote. Huh! 2—0, I win again.

2

A silly song from some old TV show, from Clio’s childhood.

3

Here and further are references toВ the world built byВ Tolkien, author ofВ The Lord ofВ the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion.

4

This game may have variations inВ the end result ofВ the search; varies according toВ the region and the age ofВ the players.

5

We are talking about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel of the same name and its film adaptations.

6

Dear pirates, please don’t steal this book!

7

The concept ofВ networking is based on the so-called six-handshake theory.