The Illustrated Foreigner - t.d

"Today Maman died. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I had a telegram from the home: "Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Deepest sympathy." But it means nothing. It may have been yesterday. The old people's home is at Marengo, eighty kilometres from Algiers. I'll take the two o'clock bus and get there in the afternoon. That way I can keep vigil and return tomorrow night. I asked my boss for two days' leave and he couldn't refuse me with an excuse like that. But he didn't seem pleased. I even said to him: "It's not my fault." He didn't answer. I thought then that I shouldn't have said that. After all, I had nothing to apologize for. It was more up to him to offer me his condolences. But he will no doubt do so the day after tomorrow, when he sees me in mourning. For now, it's a bit as if Maman isn't dead. After the funeral, on the other hand, it will be a closed matter and everything will have taken on a more official appearance. I took the two o'clock bus. It was very hot."

"Today Maman died. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I had a telegram from the home: "Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Deepest sympathy." But it means nothing. It may have been yesterday. The old people's home is at Marengo, eighty kilometres from Algiers. I'll take the two o'clock bus and get there in the afternoon. That way I can keep vigil and return tomorrow night. I asked my boss for two days' leave and he couldn't refuse me with an excuse like that. But he didn't seem pleased. I even said to him: "It's not my fault." He didn't answer. I thought then that I shouldn't have said that. After all, I had nothing to apologize for. It was more up to him to offer me his condolences. But he will no doubt do so the day after tomorrow, when he sees me in mourning. For now, it's a bit as if Maman isn't dead. After the funeral, on the other hand, it will be a closed matter and everything will have taken on a more official appearance. I took the two o'clock bus. It was very hot."