Read Online Too Close to the Edge by Pascal Garnier - Free Book Online
Authors: Pascal Garnier
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swapped her feet. Agnès wafted into the kitchen wearing only her large men’s shirt. She mumbled a hello as she sailed past without a glance in Éliette’s direction. She sat down and poured herself a tea with such delicacy that she chipped the cup.
‘Morning, Agnès. Sleep all right?’
‘No. It’s too quiet here; it keeps me awake. What about you two?’
‘I slept very well. As for Étienne, you’ll have to ask him yourself. I think he slept on the sofa in the living room. I heard snoring.’
‘Oh!’
With her mass of wild red hair and big black eye she looked like a clown who had messed up his act.
‘Shall I do you some toast?’
‘Er …. OK.’
‘It’s always like this the first few nights when city people come to stay. The silence gets to them. But they get used to it.’
‘You need time for that.’
‘For what?’
‘To get used to it. I’ve never had time to get used to anything. Just as well – I don’t like habits. Why did he sleep in the lounge?’
‘I don’t know. He was still in the garden when I went up to bed. He was asleep on one of the loungers.’
‘Pissed?’
‘No, just tired, I think. Here’s your toast.’
‘Thanks. He’s always tired. Some people have dogs for companions; he’s got his tiredness. I’m heading off today; I’ll be back tomorrow night.’
‘Oh! OK then.’
‘I can’t stay in one place. Gotta keep moving. I’ve got mates on the Côte. I’ll visit them and then head back up.’
‘Right, well, if you like …’
‘Can we borrow the limo? Étienne has some shopping to do. He’ll drop me off at the station.’
‘Yes, fine.’
‘It’ll give the two of you some space.’
‘Honestly, you’re no trouble, Agnès.’
‘I know. But we should all be playing with friends our own age. I’ll go and wake him up. My train’s at eleven.’
Étienne was curled up on the sofa with Éliette’s cardigan thrown over his shoulders. Certain pre-Columbian mummies had adopted the same foetal position for their last journey.
‘Étienne! … Étienne!’
Agnès’s face appeared just at the point in his dream when he was finishing setting up a cycle race.
‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
‘I could ask you the same question. Why aren’t you in your room?’
‘I fell asleep in the garden. In the middle of the night I got cold and came and flopped down here.’
‘I thought you were in with Éliette.’
‘And what if I was?’
‘Nothing. My train’s at eleven. Éliette’s lending us her wheels. I’m going to see my mate in La Ciotat. I’ll be back tomorrow night.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The buyer I told you about last night. He’s up for it, but he needs to try it.’
‘And then what?’
‘How should I know? We’ll see what happens. So are you gonna let me do my thing, or what?’
‘Yes. I think I might have a shower and get changed. You’ve got a face like a slapped arse.’
‘I just want to get out of here.’
*
It was the first time the Aixam had left without her. Éliette watched the little cream car disappear at the end of the road and, for want of anything else to do, decided to sort out her paperwork. It felt strange to be alone in the house again. The ‘strangeness’ came from already missing him. Étienne had not been gone five minutes and she was already eagerly awaiting his return. Being alone felt different now. Less serene, perhaps, but how delicious it was to be filled with uncertainty: ‘Is he coming back?’ Waiting for someone, having someone waiting for you … No, nothing had happened besides their two hands pressed together between the sunloungers. Étienne had fallen asleep and she had left him in the care of the star-studded sky. It was important not to make any hasty moves. You didn’t wake a sleepwalker standing on the edge of a roof. Agnès’s departure this morning had not come as a surprise but seemed perfectly natural. She too must have felt that this Wednesday and
‘Morning, Agnès. Sleep all right?’
‘No. It’s too quiet here; it keeps me awake. What about you two?’
‘I slept very well. As for Étienne, you’ll have to ask him yourself. I think he slept on the sofa in the living room. I heard snoring.’
‘Oh!’
With her mass of wild red hair and big black eye she looked like a clown who had messed up his act.
‘Shall I do you some toast?’
‘Er …. OK.’
‘It’s always like this the first few nights when city people come to stay. The silence gets to them. But they get used to it.’
‘You need time for that.’
‘For what?’
‘To get used to it. I’ve never had time to get used to anything. Just as well – I don’t like habits. Why did he sleep in the lounge?’
‘I don’t know. He was still in the garden when I went up to bed. He was asleep on one of the loungers.’
‘Pissed?’
‘No, just tired, I think. Here’s your toast.’
‘Thanks. He’s always tired. Some people have dogs for companions; he’s got his tiredness. I’m heading off today; I’ll be back tomorrow night.’
‘Oh! OK then.’
‘I can’t stay in one place. Gotta keep moving. I’ve got mates on the Côte. I’ll visit them and then head back up.’
‘Right, well, if you like …’
‘Can we borrow the limo? Étienne has some shopping to do. He’ll drop me off at the station.’
‘Yes, fine.’
‘It’ll give the two of you some space.’
‘Honestly, you’re no trouble, Agnès.’
‘I know. But we should all be playing with friends our own age. I’ll go and wake him up. My train’s at eleven.’
Étienne was curled up on the sofa with Éliette’s cardigan thrown over his shoulders. Certain pre-Columbian mummies had adopted the same foetal position for their last journey.
‘Étienne! … Étienne!’
Agnès’s face appeared just at the point in his dream when he was finishing setting up a cycle race.
‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
‘I could ask you the same question. Why aren’t you in your room?’
‘I fell asleep in the garden. In the middle of the night I got cold and came and flopped down here.’
‘I thought you were in with Éliette.’
‘And what if I was?’
‘Nothing. My train’s at eleven. Éliette’s lending us her wheels. I’m going to see my mate in La Ciotat. I’ll be back tomorrow night.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The buyer I told you about last night. He’s up for it, but he needs to try it.’
‘And then what?’
‘How should I know? We’ll see what happens. So are you gonna let me do my thing, or what?’
‘Yes. I think I might have a shower and get changed. You’ve got a face like a slapped arse.’
‘I just want to get out of here.’
*
It was the first time the Aixam had left without her. Éliette watched the little cream car disappear at the end of the road and, for want of anything else to do, decided to sort out her paperwork. It felt strange to be alone in the house again. The ‘strangeness’ came from already missing him. Étienne had not been gone five minutes and she was already eagerly awaiting his return. Being alone felt different now. Less serene, perhaps, but how delicious it was to be filled with uncertainty: ‘Is he coming back?’ Waiting for someone, having someone waiting for you … No, nothing had happened besides their two hands pressed together between the sunloungers. Étienne had fallen asleep and she had left him in the care of the star-studded sky. It was important not to make any hasty moves. You didn’t wake a sleepwalker standing on the edge of a roof. Agnès’s departure this morning had not come as a surprise but seemed perfectly natural. She too must have felt that this Wednesday and
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