Shira Read Online Free Page A

you’ve created a barrier. Wish her well and don’t try to court her.
    He did not act on this intelligence. The next day he ran into her in the post office, at the next window. Having met her, he spoke to her, and when their business was concluded he joined her. While they walked, he talked on and on. He suddenly had so much to say. With no preparation, the words came. Not of themselves, but by way of a story about a postal worker who collected stamps. He used to remove valuable stamps from international letters and keep them. Nothing was said about this, for what would be the point of speaking out when your letters could be confiscated? Then, suddenly, someone saw the matter differently. He went and told a supervisor, who would have dismissed the matter in deference to British honor, for no servant of the British Empire would violate its laws, but he was not content until the fellow was reprimanded. In addition to the reprimand, he was ordered to return the stamps. He denied taking them. His house was searched, and many undelivered letters were found.
    A story that doesn’t really pertain to either Dr. Herbst or Lisbet Neu gave them something to talk about. If we were to monitor their conversation, we would find nothing that hasn’t been said by others. Still, it wasn’t wasted. For, having begun a conversation, they continued to walk and talk, like people who know each other well and enjoy talking to each other. As things happen, it happened that, before taking leave of each other, she gave him the telephone number of the store she worked in and, as it was closed at night, added the number of the grocery she shopped in; the grocer and his wife were there until 10:00 and would call her to the phone at any time. The night Dr. Herbst took leave of his wife when she was about to give birth, it was hard for him to go back to his empty house. He thought of various people but was not drawn to any of them. He was reminded of Professor Neu’s relative. He thought of calling her. One doesn’t really call a young woman at such an hour, but Lisbet Neu was different, This is the beginning of the story of Manfred Herbst and Lisbet Neu, a relative of Professor Alfred Neu, Dr. Herbst’s distinguished teacher. I think I have made things as clear as they can be. But this is not the essence of the story. The essence of the story involves Manfred Herbst and the nurse Shira, the Shira I began with, whose conduct I will continue to recount insofar as it touches on the story of Herbst.

Chapter four
    N ow, after taking leave of his wife, he went to telephone Lisbet Neu. He found a phone booth, but it was at an intersection, and he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to hear Lisbet Neu’s lovely voice over the traffic. So he passed it up and went on to another phone, only to realize that the numbers were jumbled in his mind. He wasn’t sure which was her work number and which was the grocery number. He opened the telephone book to verify the numbers. They were spotted with dirt and illegible. He put down the book with the illegible numbers and went on. He found another booth.
    When he opened the door, he found a woman inside. He retreated and was about to turn away. The woman said, “I finished my conversation. If I’m not mistaken, it’s Dr. Herbst, Mrs. Herbst’s husband.” Herbst stared at her and at the red turban on her head, his face turning red, like the turban. She said, “I am sure that Mrs. Herbst is well. She is comfortable with us and has whatever she needs.”
    Herbst asked himself: Who is this woman in whose hands Henrietta is so comfortable? One thing is clear: the red turban on her head is becoming. And it is equally clear that she is the nurse I call Nadia, though her name is not Nadia but Shira. He was gracious to her, so that she would be gracious to his wife.
    Shira said, “Did Dr. Herbst want to use the phone?” He blushed and muttered, “Yes.” Shira said, “Is there trouble with the phone? Here, I’ll