KAZUO ISHIGURO

Never Let Me Go - fragments
 

At the end of August, the men moved out and I moved in. To begin with, I felt like in a dream. But that soon wore off. I wasn't left alone as much as I expected. A man came and wanted to do the garden, he'd always done it, and he got very nasty when I sent him away. Then the vicar from the village came and I had to be rude with him. I said I wanted to be left alone, I was Nonconformist, I wanted nothing to do with the village, and he went off la-di-da in a huff. Then there were several people with van-shops and I had to put them off. I said I bought all my goods in Lewes.
I had the telephone disconnected, too.
I soon got in the habit of locking the front gate, it was only a grille, but had a lock. Once or twice I saw tradesmen looking through, but people soon seemed to get the point. I was left alone, and could get on with my work.
I worked for a month or more getting my plans ready. I was alone all the time; not having any real friends was lucky.
I used to do odd jobs for Aunt Annie, Uncle Dick taught me. I wasn't bad at carpentering and so on, and I fitted out the room very nicely, though I say it myself. After I got it dried out I put several layers of insulating felt and then a nice bright orange carpet (cheerful) fitting the walls (which were whitewashed.) I got in a bed and a chest of drawers. Table, armchair, etcetera.”

 

Alina Iagaru

Kazuo Ishiguro
 

La sfarsitul lui august, barbatii au plecat, iar eu m-am mutat in locul lor. Pentru inceput, m-am simtit ca intr-un vis. Dar asta a disparut repede. Nu am fost lasat singur atat de mult pe cat ma asteptam. Un barbat a venit sa aranjeze gradina, o facuse mereu si a devenit foarte obraznic cand i-am spus sa plece. Preotul din sat a venit si a trebuit sa fiu nepoliticos cu el. I-am spus ca vreau sa fiu lasat in pace, eram Nonconformist, nu voiam sa am nimic de-a face cu satul si a plecat infuriate. Apoi au urmat cativa oameni cu magazine ambulante, pe care a trebuit sa ii gonesc. Le-am spus ca mi-am cumparat totul din Lewes.
Aveam si telefonul deconectat.
In curand am capatat obiceiul de a incuia poarta, era numai un grilaj, dar avea lacat.
O data sau de doua ori am vazut negustori uitandu-se inauntru, dar oamenii si-au dat seama repede cum stau lucrurile. Am fost lasat in pace si am putut sa-mi continui treaba.
Am lucrat o luna sau chiar mai mult pentru a-mi pune planurile in ordine. Eram mereu singur; neavandu-i langa mine pe adevaratii prieteni era un noroc.
Obisnuiam sa fac lucruri caudate pentru matusa Annie, unchiul Dick m-a invatat. Nu eram rau ca dulgher si asa mai departe, si am aranjat camera foarte dragut, desi asta e parerea mea. Dupa ce s-a uscat am pus cateva straturi de carton izolant si apoi un covor portocaliu deschis (vesel) care se asorta cu peretii (care erau alb murdar). Am adus un pat si o comoda. Masa, fotoliu etc.