تصادفی وحشتناک

Chapter 18 A Terrible Accident

Guy was living in Canada and building his bridge. He came home one weekend and saw a mess in the house only one person could make.

‘Bruno was here,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ Anne said.

‘You know he’s mad, don’t you?’ Guy said. Anne didn’t answer and Guy looked at her carefully.

Anne thought, ‘I know he’s the one who wrote that letter to me in March, and the one you had a fight with. I know there’s something

Then she said, ‘Guy, I’m going to have a baby. Are you pleased?’

‘A baby!’ Guy said, and he laughed with happiness.

♦

The next day Bob Treacher came from Canada to stay with Guy and Anne. It was a sunny day, and the police had called to say that they had no more questions for Guy and Bruno about his father’s murder. Anne was pregnant, he had a good job, he felt his life was changing and all the bad things were in the past.

The phone rang and Anne answered. ‘Oh, hello,’ she said. ‘Yes, come with us. We’ll meet you by the boat.’ She said to Guy, ‘That was Bruno, he’s coming with us on the India today.’

And suddenly Guy felt everything seemed black again. It always came back.

They stopped for a friend of Anne’s, Helen Heyburn, on the way to the boat, and Bruno was waiting for them when they arrived.

Bruno was very excited. ‘Come on, Guy,’ he shouted. ‘This is a great day! We’ve won!’

‘Won what?’ Anne asked and Guy went cold inside. He looked at Bruno.

‘Have a drink,’ said Bruno, offering Anne his bottle of whisky.

‘No, thank you,’ she said.

‘Come on, everybody!’ Bruno shouted. ‘Let’s go!’

The boat moved quickly over the grey sea, and the wind was quite strong. Bruno ran about the boat.

‘Sit down,’ Bob said.

‘Who are you?’ Bruno asked drunkenly. ‘A friend of Guy’s?’

‘Yes,’ Bob said politely.

‘I’ve known Guy all his life!’ Bruno shouted. ‘Have you?’

Guy saw Anne look at him with surprise. Every time with Bruno something bad happened.

‘When will he say it?’ Guy thought. ‘The truth? He could say anything, do anything. For the rest of my life . . .’

‘Come on, let’s sing!’ Bruno said. ‘Guy, sing with me!’

‘Oh, sit down,’ Helen said to Bruno.

‘Yes, sit down,’ Guy said. ‘And keep quiet!’

Bruno started to cry. They didn’t want him. He tried to walk away from all of them, even Guy. Suddenly a large wave came up and hit the boat hard. The wave covered Bruno and with a scream he fell into the sea.

‘Bruno!’ Guy shouted. He jumped into the sea. It was very cold and the waves seemed to be as high as mountains. He saw Bruno’s head very far away.

‘Guy!’ Bruno called once — a dying man.

Guy swam towards the place where he had seen Bruno, then he dived down into the cold grey water. The sea turned him round and round and round. There was nothing, Guy could see nothing.

He was the loneliest man in the world. Where was his friend, his brother?