Sun and Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page B

something, but his father got in first.
    “Good of you to come, Erik.”
    “Of course I came.” Winter could see that his father was in pain. Moving his hand had been awkward. “Take it easy now.” Winter squeezed the hand gently. “That’s the main thing.”
    “It’s the only ... possible thing.” Bengt Winter looked at his son. “This wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to greet you when you finally got yourself down here to the sun.”
    “That doesn’t matter. Hurry up and get well and then you can greet me as planned later.”
    “You can ... you can bet your life I will. Oh sh—, can you move this pillow up a bit?”
    Winter pulled up one of the pillows behind his father’s head. He noticed a pungent smell, and something more. It took him a second to recall his father’s aftershave. When he did, his headache returned. The sadness of the situation stuck in him like a lump of stone.
    He fluffed up the pillow a little.
    “That’s fine,” his father said.
    “Are you sure?”
    “It’s perfect,” his mother said. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed. Winter didn’t want to look at her.
    “How was the journey?” his father asked.
    “Everything went well.”
    “Which airline did you use?”
    “Some charter company. I forget what they’re called.”
    “That’s not like you.”
    “Hmm.”
    “It was short notice. But they found a seat for you even so?”
    “Yes.”
    “I bet some golfer or other had to wait for a few more hours, was that it?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Serves him right. There are too many of ‘em down here nowadays. They ought to have something better to do.” He looked up at Winter. “Look what happens. One minute you’re out on the golf course and the next you’re lying here.”
    “Yes, it’s not good.”
    “It’s an extremely dangerous sport.”
    “You’ll soon be back.”
    “On the golf course?”
    “Yes. And ... everywhere else too.”
    “I wouldn’t put a hell of a lot of money on that. This feels like the big one.”
    “Hmm.”
    “It feels like ...” Winter couldn’t hear what came next. His father’s speech became slurred. Winter waited, but no more words came. His father’s eyelids drooped, shot up again, drooped once more. Winter realized that he was still holding his father’s hand when it lost strength and sank down.
    “He needs to rest again,” his mother said, who had stood up and come to the bed. “He was so pleased that you’d come.” She gave Winter a hug. “He was quite excited when he heard you were here.”
    “Hmm.”
    “He woke up about a quarter of an hour before you came back.”
    “He seems to be pretty ... strong, despite everything,” Winter said, looking down at his unconscious father. Could he hear what they were saying? Did it matter? “Everything will turn out all right.”
    “That was a lovely conversation you had,” his mother said.
    It was a careful conversation, Winter thought. No risks taken. It went in big circles around a big fucking hole.
    He could hear the hum from the air-conditioning. It was the first time he’d noticed it. Maybe his nervousness was fading. Next time he would ask a few questions, and maybe get a few answers.
     
    They’d gone into the living room. She had turned on the video and bodies were writhing.... The only light in the room was the blue glow from the television screen, the shadows flitting around the walls like living beings.
    The sound was rising and falling. He couldn’t stand it. He wanted to march up to the television set and switch it off, but he couldn’t interrupt her ritual. He was sure she was the one who’d decided what was going to happen.
    “Why are you standing there? Come and sit down here. With us.”
    She beckoned from the sofa in front of the television where they were both sitting. The other man had his hand inside her blouse. On the table in front of them were glasses and bottles. He hadn’t touched a drop, but the pair on the sofa were well oiled.
    He