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E-Books (english-e-reader), Leonard

Leonard

Women often knit gifts for their families. Wives knit socks or scarves for their husbands; grandmothers knit little jackets for their children's babies.

Buying a gift is quick and easy, but making a gift with your own hands takes longer. And if, like Leonard's wife, your hands are old and stiff and crooked with arthritis, perhaps knitting is not the best thing to do...

I'll knit him a scarf. Yes. I'll knit him a scarf the same colour as his eyes.

I wait until my niece takes me shopping. 'I want to buy some wool,' I tell her. 'I want to knit Leonard a scarf.'

'But you don't knit,' she says. She looks at my crooked hands and quickly looks away again. 'And Leonard doesn't go out any more.'

But Petra takes me to the wool shop anyway.

'I want to buy some blue wool,' I say to the woman in the shop. 'The colour of my husband's eyes.' I touch a ball of blue wool that feels as soft as a bird's feathers.

'Isn't this a little too fine?' asks the woman in the shop.

'No, it's just right.'

Later, tired after my shopping, I lie back in my armchair and have a little sleep.

When the car stops outside, I am still half-asleep, and in my mind, I see a younger Leonard standing at the door. His back is as straight as a piece of wood, and his blue eyes smile.

'Is anyone home?' Dan calls.

I wake with a jump.

'Here we are, Mr Phipps,' Dan says to Leonard. Holding Leonard's arm, Dan walks him into the house.

'Thank you, Dan.' I take off Leonard's coat and push some hair away from his eyes.

We eat dinner in a silence that aches. I drink red wine and Leonard eats with a spoon. Then, after I've washed him and put him to bed, I sit down to knit.

The needles are silver. The needles are cold. I take the paper cover off the wool, find one end of it, and try again and again to make the first stitch. I am listening to music by Beethoven, and it is nearly halfway through before I have finished the first row of stitches. My fingers hurt, and they won't do what I tell them. But I have begun.

Leonard and I met at a concert in Auckland. He was tall, with blond hair then. I can still see him walking towards my seat. He took off the soft blue scarf that was the same colour as his eyes, and my heart gave a little jump. We talked over supper, and I found out where he lived and what he did.

'I'm an eye doctor,' he said, 'just beginning. No money, but I never miss concerts.'

I made our first date while we were walking out of the concert building. In those days, men always did the asking, not girls. I don't know if Leonard was surprised at my asking him or not. He never said anything.

On the days when Leonard goes to the day-care centre, I knit. I plan to finish the scarf for our fifty-third wedding anniversary. The scarf is almost finished, and when I hold it to the light, diamonds shine through. I shake the wool, drop a stitch, try to find it again. Was I more in love with Leonard than he was with me? I have so many questions... and I cannot ask any of them now.

'It's finished,' I tell my niece, putting the scarf round my neck.

'It looks good,' she said, 'if you don't look too closely. Is it a gift?'

'Yes. My last.'

On the morning of our anniversary, I kiss Leonard and give him the scarf. I know he will not speak, but while I am putting the scarf round his neck, I find that I am still hoping.

The scarf is as crooked as my fingers. It's full of holes - long thin holes, little round holes. Leonard puts his hand up and touches the wool, and for one short moment, his eyes come alive again.

'Yes,' he wants to tell me. 'Yes,' he wants to say.

'The scarf is soft.

The scarf is blue.

The scarf is us.'

- THE END -

Leonard Leonard Leonard Léonard レナード Leonard Leonard Леонарде. 伦纳德

Women often knit gifts for their families. 女性はよく家族への贈り物を編みます。 Wives knit socks or scarves for their husbands; grandmothers knit little jackets for their children's babies. 妻は夫のために靴下やスカーフを編みます。祖母は子供たちの赤ちゃんのために小さなジャケットを編みました。

Buying a gift is quick and easy, but making a gift with your own hands takes longer. ギフトを購入するのは簡単ですが、自分の手でギフトを作るには時間がかかります。 And if, like Leonard's wife, your hands are old and stiff and crooked with arthritis, perhaps knitting is not the best thing to do... そして、レナードの妻のように、あなたの手が古くてこわばり、関節炎で曲がっている場合、おそらく編み物は最善の方法ではありません...

I'll knit him a scarf. 私は彼にスカーフを編んであげます。 Yes. I'll knit him a scarf the same colour as his eyes.

I wait until my niece takes me shopping. 姪が買い物に連れて行ってくれるまで待ちます。 'I want to buy some wool,' I tell her. 'I want to knit Leonard a scarf.'

'But you don't knit,' she says. She looks at my crooked hands and quickly looks away again. 彼女は私の曲がった手を見て、すぐにまた目をそらします。 'And Leonard doesn't go out any more.' 「そして、レナードはもう外出しません。」

But Petra takes me to the wool shop anyway.

'I want to buy some blue wool,' I say to the woman in the shop. 'The colour of my husband's eyes.' 「夫の目の色」 I touch a ball of blue wool that feels as soft as a bird's feathers. 鳥の羽のように柔らかい青い羊毛のボールに触れます。

'Isn't this a little too fine?' 「これはちょっといいすぎない?」 asks the woman in the shop.

'No, it's just right.' 「いいえ、ちょうどいいです。」

Later, tired after my shopping, I lie back in my armchair and have a little sleep.

When the car stops outside, I am still half-asleep, and in my mind, I see a younger Leonard standing at the door. 車が外に停車したとき、私はまだ半分寝ていて、心の中でドアの前に若いレナードが立っているのが見えました。 His back is as straight as a piece of wood, and his blue eyes smile. 彼の背中は木のようにまっすぐで、青い目は微笑んでいます。

'Is anyone home?' 「誰か家にいますか?」 Dan calls.

I wake with a jump.

'Here we are, Mr Phipps,' Dan says to Leonard. 「着いたよ、ミスター・フィップス」ダンはレナードに言った。 Holding Leonard's arm, Dan walks him into the house. ダンはレナードの腕をつかみ、彼を家に連れて行きます。

'Thank you, Dan.' I take off Leonard's coat and push some hair away from his eyes. 私はレナードのコートを脱ぎ、彼の目から髪の毛を押しのけます。

We eat dinner in a silence that aches. 私たちは痛みを伴う沈黙の中で夕食を食べます。 I drink red wine and Leonard eats with a spoon. 私は赤ワインを飲み、レナードはスプーンで食べます。 Then, after I've washed him and put him to bed, I sit down to knit. それから、彼を洗って寝かせた後、座って編み物をします。

The needles are silver. The needles are cold. I take the paper cover off the wool, find one end of it, and try again and again to make the first stitch. 私は羊毛から紙のカバーを取り、その端を見つけて、最初のステッチを作るために何度も何度も試みます. I am listening to music by Beethoven, and it is nearly halfway through before I have finished the first row of stitches. 私はベートーベンの音楽を聴いていますが、最初の行の縫い目が終わるまでほぼ半分です。 My fingers hurt, and they won't do what I tell them. 指が痛くて言うことを聞かない。 But I have begun. しかし、私は始めました。

Leonard and I met at a concert in Auckland. He was tall, with blond hair then. 彼は背が高く、当時は金髪でした。 I can still see him walking towards my seat. 彼が私の席に向かって歩いているのが今でも見えます。 He took off the soft blue scarf that was the same colour as his eyes, and my heart gave a little jump. 彼が目と同じ色の柔らかなブルーのスカーフを脱いだとき、私の心は少し跳ねました。 We talked over supper, and I found out where he lived and what he did. 私たちは夕食をとりながら話し、彼がどこに住んでいて何をしているのかを知りました。

'I'm an eye doctor,' he said, 'just beginning. No money, but I never miss concerts.' お金はありませんが、コンサートを欠席することはありません。

I made our first date while we were walking out of the concert building. 私たちがコンサートの建物を歩いている間に、私は最初のデートをしました。 In those days, men always did the asking, not girls. 当時は、女の子ではなく、常に男性が尋ねていました。 I don't know if Leonard was surprised at my asking him or not. レナードが私の質問に驚いたかどうかはわかりません。 He never said anything.

On the days when Leonard goes to the day-care centre, I knit. レナードが保育園に行く日は編み物をします。 I plan to finish the scarf for our fifty-third wedding anniversary. 結婚53周年のマフラーを仕上げる予定です。 The scarf is almost finished, and when I hold it to the light, diamonds shine through. スカーフが完成間近で、光にかざすとダイヤモンドが透けて見えます。 I shake the wool, drop a stitch, try to find it again. 羊毛を揺らし、一針一針落として、もう一度見つけようとします。 Was I more in love with Leonard than he was with me? 彼が私よりもレナードに恋をしていたのですか? I have so many questions... and I cannot ask any of them now. たくさんの質問があります...そして、今はそのどれも聞くことができません。

'It's finished,' I tell my niece, putting the scarf round my neck.

'It looks good,' she said, 'if you don't look too closely. 「よさそうですね」と彼女は言いました。 Is it a gift?'

'Yes. My last.'

On the morning of our anniversary, I kiss Leonard and give him the scarf. I know he will not speak, but while I am putting the scarf round his neck, I find that I am still hoping. 彼が口を開かないことはわかっていますが、彼の首にスカーフを巻いている間、私はまだ希望を持っていることに気づきました。

The scarf is as crooked as my fingers. スカーフは私の指と同じくらい曲がっています。 It's full of holes - long thin holes, little round holes. 穴がいっぱいです - 長くて細い穴、小さな丸い穴。 Leonard puts his hand up and touches the wool, and for one short moment, his eyes come alive again. レオナルドが手を上げて羊毛に触れると、一瞬、彼の目が生き返った。

'Yes,' he wants to tell me. 「はい」彼は私に言いたがっています。 'Yes,' he wants to say.

'The scarf is soft.

The scarf is blue.

The scarf is us.'

- THE END -