Abahn Sabana David by Marguerite Duras Read Free Book Online Page B

fades.
    â€œIt’s for that reason exactly that they want to kill you.”
    â€œYes,” says Abahn.
    Sabana sits next to the Jew. She stays there, next to him, quiet, her eyes open.
    They are silent. Both fallen against the walls, looking at nothing.
    â€œThe Jews still cannot escape madness and sorrow,” says Abahn.
    He pauses. He speaks with concerted effort:
    â€œSometimes it’s so difficult for them to live.”
    Silence.
    â€œBefore, the Jew was so sure,” says Abahn.
    â€œOf what?”
    â€œHe was with Gringo’s Party.”
    â€œCommunist.”
    â€œNo. With Gringo.”
    She struggles to speak clearly the same way Abahn had:
    â€œAnd now? He’s what?”
    Abahn does not respond right away.
    â€œIf he’s anything, he’s a communist,” she says.
    Abahn rises, rests his back against the wall that opens to thepark. He feels apart from the others. Sabana hears him from across that distance.
    â€œAnd now?” she repeats.
    The Jew smiles, makes a little gesture.
    â€œ Nothing more? ” she demands.
    â€œNo,” says Abahn. “ Something else . But he doesn’t know what.”
    â€œI knew it,” says Sabana.
    Abahn slides down the wall and lands once more on the floor. He is still a little apart from Sabana and the Jew but like them he is on the ground, fallen.
    Sabana’s hand lifts and brushes across the eyes of the Jew.
    â€œYou’ve gone blind.”
    â€œYes,” says Abahn.
    â€œYou’ve become deaf.”
    â€œYes.”
    The hand rests on the closed eyes.
    â€œLike David,” says Sabana.
    The hand falls back.
    â€¢
    S he does it. With great difficulty, she gets up and moves away from the Jew.
    She stands facing him.
    She turns from him toward David, but her eyes stay fixed on the Jew.
    Then she turns toward David, pauses there, turned toward him. Finally, her eyes unlatch from the gaze of the Jew.
    All falls still.
    Sabana’s body seems to tremble between turning to David and turning back to the Jew.
    Then, suddenly, she chooses. She moves slowly toward David. Pauses. Moves. Comes close to David, studying him.
    His breath is long and even. He sleeps a deep sleep. She watches him.
    She does it.
    Slowly, she cradles David’s head in her hands and lifts it.
    â€œWake up, David. The Jews are talking.”
    â€œNo,” David mutters in his sleep.
    She leans closer and forces a light tone into her voice. “David, the Jews are talking.”
    â€œWhat?” David asks.
    His eyes are still closed.
    â€œWhat?” he asks.
    He opens his eyes. He looks over at the Jews sitting on the floor. He seems to recognize them. And remember them. They do not return his gaze.
    For a moment it seems David is resting.
    â€œThey are not trying to escape?” he asks.
    â€œNo.”
    She fixes her attention on him. “You slept well.”
    David doesn’t answer.
    â€œWhat time is it?” he asks.
    â€œNight,” Sabana says.
    David glances repeatedly toward the darkened park where the dogs are.
    â€œAnd Gringo?”
    â€œHe passed by,” she says. “He’ll come back later.”
    â€œTheir meeting is still going on?”
    David is stunned.
    â€œWhy so long?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Sabana says.
    â€œHe told me at the beginning of the night,” says David.
    He looks over at the Jews.
    â€œThis whole time there’s only been one Jew,” he says.
    â€œGringo sent the second while you were asleep.”
    David gets up. He stretches his arms, grimaces, looks at his hands, flexes them. He doesn’t feel well. Suddenly he freezes. He has thought of something.
    â€œThe second Jew. Are they going to kill him too?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œWhether they kill him,” David smiles, “or only the first one, it’s all the same to them.”
    â€œYes,” says Sabana.
    The Jews have raised their eyes. They