November [1]
Peter Bichsel [2]
He was afraid and if he said to someone: “It has gotten colder”, he expected comfort.
“Yes, November”, the other one said.
“Soon it will be Christmas”, he said.
He bought heating oil, he owned a winter coat and he was prepared for winter but was afraid. In winter one is lost. In winter anything terrible could happen, war for example, in winter one could lose one’s job, in winter one can catch a cold. One can protect oneself from catching a cold with a scarf, a winter coat, and gloves. But it could even be colder.
It is no use to say “Spring” now.
Shop windows are lit up, they deceive you with warmth. But the church bells are rattling. In the saloon it is hot, at home children open the windows and leave the front door open, in the store one forgets one’s hat.
One does not notice, how the trees are losing their leaves. Suddenly they have no more leaves. In April trey will have leaves again, in March probably already there. One will see, how they get leaves.
Before leaving the house, he counts his money.
There will be no snow, there is no more snow.
Women who catch cold are pretty, women are pretty. “One has to get used to the cold”, he said, “One has to breathe deeper and walk faster.” – “What should I buy children for Christmas?” he asked, “You will get used to the cold”, he said to the other. “Yes, it has gotten colder, November”, said the other.
[1]. p.19. November. Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen. Suhrkamp Verlag Frankfurt am Main, Walter-Verlag AG, Germany. 1996.
[2]. Peter Bichsel. 3/24/1935 - . Swiss writer and journalist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bichsel
