Forever Yours by Daniel Glattauer, Jamie Bulloch Read Free Book Online Page A

Judith noticed that there was no hand on her knee and thus no Hannes, either. After a long search she found him outside in the furthest corner of the garden, sitting stoically on a stump of wood and allowing himself to be showered by the rain.
    Judith: “What are you doing?” Hannes: “I’m thinking.” He gave a sidelong glance that went straight past her. Judith: “What about?” Hannes: “You.” Judith: “What are you thinking about me?” Hannes: “About you and Lukas.” Judith: “Lukas?” Hannes: “Don’t think I can’t see it.” It was as if he was forcing himself to speak softly; his vocal chords sounded brittle. Judith: “What?” Hannes: “That he’s looking at you.” Judith: “You normally look at people when you talk to them, don’t you?” Hannes: “It all depends how.” Judith: “Hannes, no – please don’t! I’ve known Lukas for twenty years. We’re old friends. A very, very long time ago we were…” Hannes: “I don’t want to know about the past. Today is what matters for me. You’re embarrassing me in front of your family.”
    She bent down and shot him a severe look. He was trembling, the corners of his mouth were in a twitching competition with his eyes. Judith took an ostentatiously deep breath, then spoke slowly and emphatically, as one does when explaining rules. “Stop, Hannes! Don’t be like that! I can hardly believe it. I was having a perfectly normal conversation with Lukas. If you’ve got a problem with that, then you’ve got a problem with me. I don’t put up with tantrums like this, I haven’t done since puberty, and I’m not going to start getting used to them in my mid-thirties.”
    Hannes said nothing and buried his face in his hands. “I’m going back in,” Judith said. “And I suggest you do the same. It’s raining, in case you hadn’t noticed.” “Wait a minute, Darling,” he called after her. “Let’s go in together.” His voice sounded halfway normal again.
7
    Judith was awoken the following morning by squealing, shrieking and sniggering from the garden. The blue sleeping bag at the foot of the guest bed was empty. Hannes must have come to bed after she’d already fallen sleep and risen before she was awake. Beside her pillow was a note with an irregular pencil-drawn heart and the message: “Darling, I don’t know what got into me last night. I was behaving like a fifteen-year-old. I promise you’ll never see me act like that again. Please forgive me. The only explanation I can offer is my undying love for you. Love, Hannes”
    It was sunny outside. She could see him from the window, in sparkling form, besieged by the children. He lifted them up in turn and spun them around. Lukas and Antonia were standing nearby, joking with him. When he saw Judith he waved at her extravagantly.
    Breakfast had already been laid on the terrace. “It seems we’ve had a visit from a night-time elf,” Hedi told Judith. The mountain of dishes had been washed up and put away, the floor swept. Hedi didn’t recognise her own kitchen; it hadn’t been that clean for years. Even the hopelessly encrusted oven was all of a sudden white again. “Could I hire Hannes during the week too?” she asked. Judith tried her best to give a hearty laugh.
    Hannes dismissed the compliments. “When I can’t sleep, I like throwing myself into housework. It’s one of my eccentricities,” he said. “And anyway, Mum helped me with the breakfast.” She was sitting next to him, of course. He stroked her shoulder. “Oh, I just put a few cups out,” she said, rewarding him with a series of diva-like glances.
    Later that morning, while Hannes was larking about with the children, Judith eventually managed to coax a few words from her silent brother Ali. He was now on the right dose of anti-depressants, he told her; sometimes he was even full of beans. He was really looking forward to the baby and swore to himself (and Hedi) that he’d be the perfect father. The only thing