
[3645] Did you have a good night? I said, as soon as my son opened his eyes.
[3646] I could have waked him, but no, I let him wake naturally.
[3647] Finally he told
me he did not feel well.
[3648] My son's replies were often beside the point.
[3649] Where are we, I said, and what is the nearest village?
[3650] He named it.
[3651] I
knew it, I had been there, it was a small town, luck was on our side.
[3652] I
even had a few acquaintances, among its inhabitants.
[3653] What day is it? I said.
[3654] He specified the day without a moment's hesitation.
[3655] And he had only just
regained consciousness!
[3656] I told you he had a genius for history and
geography.
[3657] It was from him I learned that Condom is on the Baise.
[3658] Good,
I said, off you go now to Hole, it'll take you — I worked it out — at
the most three hours.
[3659] He stared at me in astonishment.
[3660] There, I said, buy
a bicycle to fit you, second-hand for preference.
[3661] You can go up to five
pounds.
[3662] I gave him five pounds, in ten-shilling notes.
[3663] It must have a
very strong carrier, I said, if it isn't very strong get it changed, for
a very strong one.
[3664] I was trying to be clear.
[3665] I asked him if he was pleased.
[3666] He did not look pleased.
[3667] I repeated these instructions and asked him again
if he was pleased.
[3668] He looked if anything stupefied. [3669] A consequence perhaps
of the great joy he felt.
[3670] Perhaps he could not p [place = overwritten] believe his h [place = margin left] [₰]ears.
[3671] Do you
understand if nothing else? I said.
[3672] What a boon it is from time to time,
a little real conversation.
[3673] Tell me what you are to do, I said.
[3674] It was
the only way of knowing if he understood.
[3675] Go to Hole, he said, fifteen
miles away.
[3676] Fifteen miles! I cried.
[3677] Yes, he said. [3678] All right, I said,
go on.
[3679] And buy a bicycle, he said.
[3680] I waited.
[3681] Silence.
[3682] A bicycle! I
cried.
[3683] But there are millions of bicycles in Hole!
[3684] What kind of bicycle?
[3685] He reflected.
[3686] Second-hand, he said, at a venture.
[3687] And if you can't find
one second-hand? I said.
[3688] You told me second-hand, he said.
[3689] I remained
- Segments
Molloy © 2016 Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project.
Editors: Magessa O'Reilly, Dirk Van Hulle, Pim Verhulst and Vincent Neyt