Shira by S. Y. Agnon

‘No, I didn’t see her.’ I said to her, ‘Then how do you know?’ She said, ‘From the smell on the receiver.’” Herbst said, “You mentioned the telephone and I remembered that I must make a call. May I use your phone?” He picked up the receiver and said what he said. Believe it or not, before long, the telephone was answered in the kvutza.
    And, believe it or not, Herbst was not satisfied. He still had almost two hours and didn’t know how to spend them. He went to a florist and bought a bouquet of red roses. From there, he went and bought some chocolate. If Henrietta didn’t eat it, the nurses would. He bought another box for the old nurse who had first showed him Sarah.
    He left the store, holding two boxes under his arm and a bottle of perfume in his hand. He looked at his watch. It still wasn’t time to go to the hospital. When one’s patience is short and the time is long, the clock seems to slow down. He took a short walk, then a long walk, and turned into another street. He noticed a locked store with a sign on the door explaining that the family was in mourning. He recognized from the sign that this was where Lisbet Neu was employed, and he knew she would not be working for seven days. If she wasn’t at work, she was sitting at home with her mother and had most likely been home the previous night as well, perhaps even expecting his call. For his own sake, he was sorry he hadn’t called her. And he was sorry that when he went to call her events unfolded as they did. He rolled his lips and slipped his finger between the watch strap and his wrist. He looked and saw it was time to go to his wife. He stopped at the locked door and put down the flowers and perfume, so he could adjust his tie. Then he picked up his packages and was on his way.

Chapter nine
    W hile he was sitting with his wife, hand in hand, the door opened and the nurse Shira came in. Henrietta looked at her warmly and said, “If my husband hasn’t already done so, let me thank you doubly for taking the trouble to ask about me on the telephone last night.” Shira answered, “It was no trouble at all, but Dr. Herbst has already thanked me beyond what I deserve.” Henrietta said, “Men do tend to be ungrateful, and I wouldn’t pretend that my husband is any different in this regard. Isn’t that so, Fred? Now, let me ask you this, Fred. Did you do as I ordered?” “What did you order?” Fred asked in alarm. “What did I order? Nothing. I asked you to eat a decent meal.” Manfred replied, “I did as I was told. I filled up on meat, left nothing on my plate, and I don’t know when I’ll ever have room for food again.” Henrietta said, “Don’t talk like that. When it’s time for supper, you should have supper and eat solid food, not nonsense such as salads. Now, listen to me, my sweet. I hear that the nurse Shira doesn’t work nights, and, if she has no plans, I will give her some good advice: I suggest that she have dinner with my husband tonight. Look at him, Miss Shira, the father of three daughters blushing like a schoolboy. So, Miss Shira, what do you say? But you must take him to a big restaurant and see that he has a solid meal, since he has learned to make do with fruits and vegetables. It’s a miracle that he hasn’t become a vegetarian. I have nothing against vegetable dishes if they come with meat, but as for grazing in a meadow, I leave that to the goats. By the way, how is our garden doing? Did you water the plants? Is the mallow growing? You look as if you’re sitting on hot coals. I know, my sweet, that you’re longing for your desk, but our little Sarah deserves another evening of your time. Isn’t that so, Nurse Shira? Where is that nurse? She’s disappeared.” When Henrietta realized she was alone with her husband, she took his hand and said, “Don’t be annoyed that I’m troubling you to take Shira to dinner. You don’t know what a wonderful woman she is, how she puts herself out on my