The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro Read Free Book Online Page B

'We're going to be late. It'll be dark soon.'
    Looking past him I saw that indeed the sun was beginning to set over the square and that many of the tables had become vacant.
    'I'm sorry, Boris. What was it you were wanting to do?'
    'Hurry up!' The little boy gave my arm a tug. 'We'll never get there!'
    'Where is it Boris wants to go?' I asked his mother quietly.
    'To the swing park, of course.' Sophie sighed and rose to her feet. 'He wants to show you the progress he's made.'
    There seemed no choice but for me to rise also, and the next moment the three of us were setting off across the square.
    'So,' I said to Boris as he fell in step beside me, 'you're going to show me a few things.'
    'When we were there earlier on,' he said, taking my arm, 'there was this boy, he was bigger than me, and he couldn't even do a torpedo! Mother thought he was at least two years older than me. I showed him how to do it five times, but he was too scared. He just kept going to the top, then he couldn't do it!'
    'Really. And of course, you're not scared to do this thing. This torpedo.'
    'Of course I'm not scared! It's easy! It's completely easy!'
    'That's good.'
    'He was too scared! It was so funny!'
    We left the square and began to make our way through the small cobbled streets of the district. Boris seemed to know the way well, often running a few paces ahead in his impatience. Then at one point, he fell in step beside me again and asked:
    'Do you know Grandfather?'
    'Yes, I told you. We're good friends.'
    'Grandfather's very strong. He's one of the strongest men in the town.'
    'Is that so?'
    'He's a good fighter. He was a soldier once. He's old, but he's still a better fighter than most people. Street thugs don't realise that sometimes, then they get a nasty surprise.' Boris made a sudden lunging movement as he walked. 'Before they know it, Grandfather's got them on the ground.'
    'Really? That's interesting, Boris.'
    Just at that moment, as we continued through the little cobbled streets, I found myself remembering more of the argument I had had with Sophie. It had taken place perhaps a week or so ago, and I had been in a hotel room somewhere, listening to her voice at the other end of the line shouting:
    'How much longer can they expect you to carry on like this? Neither of us is so young any more! You've done your share now! Let somebody else do it all now!'
    'Look,' I had been saying to her, my voice still calm, 'the fact is, people need me. I arrive in a place and more often than not find terrible problems. Deep-seated, seemingly intractable problems, and people are so grateful I've come.'
    'But how much longer can you go on doing this for people? And for us, I mean for me and you and Boris, time's slipping away. Before you know it, Boris will be grown up. No one can expect you to keep on like this. And all these people, why can't they sort out their own problems? It might do them some good!'
    'You've no idea!' I had broken in, now angry. 'You don't know what you're saying! Some of these places I visit, the people don't know a thing. They don't understand the first thing about modern music and if you leave them to themselves, it's obvious, they'll just get deeper and deeper into trouble. I'm needed, why can't you see that? I'm needed out here! You don't know what you're talking about!' And it was then I had shouted at her: 'Such a small world! You live in such a small world!'
    We had come to a small playground encircled by railings. It was empty of people and I thought it had a rather melancholy atmosphere about it. Boris though led us enthusiastically through the little gate.
    'Look, this is easy!' he said, and went running off towards the climbing frame.
    For a while, Sophie and I stood in the fading light watching his figure climb higher and higher. Then she said quietly:
    'You know, it's funny. When I was listening to that Mr Mayer, the way he was describing the living room of the house, I kept getting these pictures in my mind, of the