The woman still occasionally writes articles for the local newspaper under a pseudonym. She no longer goes to the fourth floor of that humdrum building the color of rough plaster, nowadays she telephones Christian Voubert on his direct line and he suggests topics to her. Sometimes she says yes, sometimes she cannot see the point of it. In her study these days there is not much literature. She devotes a good deal of time to reading books about drowning and coma, scientific studies on the psychological effects, accounts by survivors. She keeps herself informed about new developments in the cases of children suffering from neurological aftereffects. She is constantly on the lookout for new institutes, new medications, research in progress, clinical trials, hypnosis, herbal treatments, essential oils, miracles.
It is only in the evening, when Laura is asleep, that Adam and Anita can sit side by side together once more. They will talk softly about the day’s events. The gutter repaired, the furniture polished, the complete meal Laura has managed to eat, her progress with physical therapy. They never go beyond such tangible things. They hold fast onto these real things so as not to stray out of their depth. Of course the memory of Adèle often hovers between them, but the truth is that by that time in the evening they have not much energy left for her.
At this stage Anita and Adam simply want the day to end and for all thoughts, wishes, and regrets to close up for the night like water lilies. They go to their bedroom, lie down in silence. Before switching off the light they kiss and say to one another, till tomorrow, then.
AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank-you to the American artist Ed Cohen who allowed me to draw inspiration from his magnificent paintings as well as his working technique for the character of Adam. His paintings can be seen at www.edcohenstudio.com.
Thanks to my parents, to Anuradha Roy, Christel Paris, Davin Appanah, Elsa Lafon, Jean-Philippe Rossignol, Monique Gouley, Myriam Greisalmmer, Xavier Houssein.
TRANSLATOR’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to a number of people, and especially the author, for their advice and assistance in the preparation of this translation. My thanks are due, in particular, to my editor at Graywolf Press, Katie Dublinski, and to Thompson Bradley, Daphne Clark, Robin Dewhurst, June Elks, Martyn Haxworth, Simon Strachan, Susan Strachan, and Cherry and Paul Thompson.
Nathacha Appanah was born in Mahébourg, Mauritius. She is the author of The Last Brother, which has been translated into sixteen languages. She works as a journalist and translator and lives in France.
Geoffrey Strachan, who also translated The Last Brother into English, is a prizewinning translator of works from both French and German, including novels by Andreï Makine, Yasmina Reza, and Jérôme Ferrari.
The text of Waiting for Tomorrow is set in Kepler Std. Book design by Ann Sudmeier. Composition by Bookmobile Design & Digital Publisher Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Manufactured by Versa Press on acid-free, 30 percent postconsumer wastepaper.
