Jess was only ten when the first pods washed up on the shore. She'd been standing with her toes dug into the sand, letting the cold Atlantic Ocean swirl around her ankles, daring herself to venture ... [+]
Translated by Wendy Cross
Henry Banner is my friend. We are never apart, he stays by my side from morning to night. He will always be there for me when things are tough. The problem with Henry is that he doesn't have a driving license, so I take him wherever he wants to go. Henry is a real back-seat driver. He points out to me the slightest mistakes in my driving. If I exceed the speed limit by the slightest amount, Henry rolls his eyes at me. So, I drive gently, I pay attention to the road signs, to the pedestrian crossings, to not having the music on too loud, to name but a few. What's more, Henry never sits in the front passenger seat, he stays in the back. Sometimes we have a laugh, he pulls faces at me in the rear-view mirror. He's the king of all jokers.
Despite everything, Henry Banner does have some faults. He can occasionally be violent, and he sometimes stays at the foot of my bed when I go to sleep, which makes me jump out of my skin when I wake up and see his icy eyes staring at me. Henry has many different moods. He may watch over me, which makes me smile. He may also really hurt me, which frightens me. Despite everything, Henry never leaves me alone. He is there at breakfast, but Henry does not eat. He is there at the office, but Henry does not work. He is there at the store, at the swimming pool, at the park, at friends' houses, to name but a few. The only place where Henry does not follow me is to the cemetery. He hates that. He hates seeing his own tombstone.
One lovely morning, Henry Banner was walking through the town center. He had already drunken a coffee and smoked a cigarette. Henry was in a jovial mood, he was wearing his best suit. The day was starting well. I met Henry Banner that morning, on the pedestrian crossing. My car still remembers it. Ever since, Henry has been pulling faces at me in the rear-view mirror. You have to say, he's got the perfect face for that now.
Despite everything, Henry Banner does have some faults. He can occasionally be violent, and he sometimes stays at the foot of my bed when I go to sleep, which makes me jump out of my skin when I wake up and see his icy eyes staring at me. Henry has many different moods. He may watch over me, which makes me smile. He may also really hurt me, which frightens me. Despite everything, Henry never leaves me alone. He is there at breakfast, but Henry does not eat. He is there at the office, but Henry does not work. He is there at the store, at the swimming pool, at the park, at friends' houses, to name but a few. The only place where Henry does not follow me is to the cemetery. He hates that. He hates seeing his own tombstone.
One lovely morning, Henry Banner was walking through the town center. He had already drunken a coffee and smoked a cigarette. Henry was in a jovial mood, he was wearing his best suit. The day was starting well. I met Henry Banner that morning, on the pedestrian crossing. My car still remembers it. Ever since, Henry has been pulling faces at me in the rear-view mirror. You have to say, he's got the perfect face for that now.