Ball of Suet: Selected Short Stories by Maupassant

Chapter 25 Family (1)
This novel is just about what happened in a civil servant's family in one day. It is hard to tell what story is in it, but it is in these records that the scenes of civil servants' family life and their mental state are subtly shown.What you see in it is not a story, but a reality of life.

On the boulevard, a small train bound for the city of Neuilly passed the Porte Maillot and headed for the banks of the Seine.The small train pulls a carriage, and the whistle blows, and the vehicles and pedestrians make way for it.It kept puffing out steam, like a man panting after a long run.It made a rhythmic sound, as if two iron legs were running fast.There was no wind in the summer evening, and it was very sultry.The road raised white dust, like chalk dust, which stuck to people's skin and eyes, and penetrated into people's bodies. It was uncomfortably hot, and the smell made people feel dizzy.Many residents went to their own door to breathe.

The small train moved forward quickly, the glass windows on the car were wide open, and the curtains fluttered in the wind.The inside of the car was so stuffy that most of the passengers ran to the top floor and the platform outside the car. In fact, there were not many people in the car.Some of the passengers in the car are fat ladies. They are small citizens living in the suburbs.There were also some passengers, with their sallow faces, hunchbacks, and uneven shoulders, they looked like civil servants who had tired of office work.Judging by their expressions, they must be old and young, and bear the financial burden of the family; it can also be seen that they have no longer dreamed of becoming a member of the poor.They made their home in a junkyard in a suburb far from Paris.The flower bed in front of the door is their own in their eyes.In life, although they are very frugal, the money is still not enough.

A short, fat man sat by the door.He was talking to a tall, thin man.This dumpy man, with puffy cheeks and a belly that hung down to his thighs, wore a black suit with a medal on his jacket.The tall, thin man was slovenly, wearing a dirty white suit and an old straw hat on his head.Humpty Humpty spoke slowly, making people mistake him for stuttering.The tall, lanky man had been a merchant ship's sanitary officer, and since he had settled near the Gourbois Circus, he had been practicing medicine with what little medical knowledge he had.His surname was Chenay, and he often asked people to call him "Doctor".There were many local gossip about his character.

Mr. Galawang has been living the same life as a civil servant.He has walked the way to work in the morning for 30 years.At that time and place every day, I meet the same group of office workers, and at the same time and place when I get off work at night, I still meet the same group of office workers.Mr. Galawang saw them growing old like himself.

Every day he would buy a newspaper and two rolls at Saint-Honoré, and hurry to the office.He is always on tenterhooks, afraid of being reprimanded for doing something wrong, and every time he enters the office building, he is like a criminal who has surrendered himself.

His life is like this every day, and there will be no difference.In his eyes, there are only official duties, promotions and bonuses, and he doesn't care about the rest.He is a person who doesn't care about dowry. He married a colleague's daughter at the beginning.For a long time, no matter where he was, he had only business on his mind.The boring office business has occupied his mind, and now it is said to him that besides work or work, any plans, hopes, and dreams have nothing to do with him.Then again, although the life of a civil servant makes him feel comfortable, there are also things that make him dissatisfied.For example, some naval quartermasters with several white stripes on their uniforms were appointed as section chiefs or deputy section chiefs as soon as they entered the ministry.Faced with these injustices, Mr. Galawang angrily called these people "blacksmiths".His wife was also very angry about it.Every night at dinner, he would complain loudly, pointing out that these official positions should not be given to these people.What he said was well-founded, and no matter how he heard it, people felt that God was unfair to him.

Time flies, it seems that in just a moment, he is already very old.When he was in school, he trembled every time he saw the supervisor. After graduation, he happened to meet the boss who made him very afraid.Every time he walked through the door of his boss, he would feel weak in his legs and feet.Long-term panic and restlessness made his behavior look weird.He is afraid of being scolded by others, so he stutters when he speaks.

He knew as little about Paris as a blind man begging along the streets led by a dog.Every day when he reads some social news or bad news from the newspaper, he thinks that someone deliberately fabricated it to add some fun to the boring life of these small employees.He is an old-fashioned person who thinks that new things will disturb his life, so he hates it very much.He never glanced at the news in the newspaper.However, to be honest, the newspaper did have a certain degree of false reporting in this regard.Every night after get off work, he would walk home along the Champs-Elysées.On the road, he looked at all kinds of pedestrians, carriages and horses in puzzlement.That look would make people mistake him for a tourist who just came from abroad.

On January 1 of this year, Mr. Kalawang's 1-year service period expired. He received a Medal of Honor and became a member of the Honor Corps.This is the reward he got after working hard for a long time in the militarized institution.It never occurred to him that he would get a medal.This reward made him feel that his talents had risen to a new height, and at the same time, changed his living habits.In order to make the medal more conspicuous, he wears a black suit every day, and throws all the variegated clothes into the closet.Not only that, but he had to carefully shave and trim his nails every day, and changed his shirts more often.He felt that he was also the one who got the medal, and he was worthy of the medal.In a word, in an instant, his whole person changed. He was neatly dressed, high-spirited, humble and easy-going towards others.

At home, he mentioned "my medal" the most.Gradually, in his opinion, only his own medal represented a high degree of honor.It annoyed him whenever he saw other medals hanging from other people's buttonholes.He was even more annoyed when he saw someone wearing a foreign medal, which, he felt, should never have appeared in France.What he hated the most was the "doctor" Chenai he met on the little train every evening. He had a strangely colored medal on his body, which was very ugly.

Usually on the road from the Arc de Triomphe to Neuilly, Kalawang would talk to the "doctor" Chenai, and they talked about the same content every day.First talk about the various ills in society, and then discuss the problem of disease.Both of them were very indignant about all kinds of social ills, thinking that the government did not fulfill its duties.After talking about these, Kalawang will subtly shift the topic to diseases.He thinks it's normal to walk with a doctor, talk about illnesses, and sometimes save himself a diagnosis fee.Recently, Kalamang's mother, who is over [-] years old, often fainted, but refused to go to the hospital, so Kalamang asked more health-related questions.

As soon as he talked about his mother, Kalawang would excitedly say to "Doctor" Chenai: "Do you often see people who live as long as my mother?" Then he rubbed his hands happily.He felt that his mother's longevity meant that he could live a long life. From this point of view, he hoped that his mother could live as long as possible.He always likes to say: "Our whole family lives a long life, judging from this, I will live a long life too."

"Doctor" Chenai was not in a hurry to answer. He first looked at the old partner next to him, at his fat face, thick and short neck, bulging belly, and fat thighs, and then Lifting the old hat on his head, he said with a smile: "My friend, I don't think so. Your mother is so thin, but you are like a big ball." After hearing his words, Galawang didn't say a word. That's it.

The little train will arrive soon.After getting off the bus, "Doctor" Chenai invited Galawang to drink absinthe at the cafe opposite.They often go to that cafe, and the owner already knows them very well.Across the wine bottles on the counter, they shook hands with the boss as a greeting.Then they went up to their three friends who played dominoes, talked cheerfully with them, and asked them for the latest news.After the conversation, the three friends continued to play cards.After they finished drinking, they bid farewell to the three. The three poker friends were too busy playing cards to look at other places, and without looking up, they held out their hands to shake hands and say goodbye.After going out, they broke up and went home separately.

There is a small three-story building near Gulbowa Square. The bottom floor is a barber shop, and the upper floor is Kalawang's home.His home has two bedrooms, a dining room, and a kitchen.There are a few old chairs in the house, which are moved where they are needed.Mrs. Galawang spends almost all her time cleaning the house.They have a pair of children: daughter Mary Louise, 12, and son Philip August, nine.There is a mud pit near their house where the two children play all day.

Galawang's mother's bedroom is on the third floor.She is a well-known cheapskate in the local area, and she is very thin, so some people jokingly asked: "Did God use all the stinginess on her?" She quarreled with others, and she scolded her neighbors, vendors who set up stalls in front of the door, street sweepers, and children.After being scolded by her, some children hid not far behind her and called her an "old witch".

The family employed a Norman maid who did housework.She is not only short, but also careless.In order to prevent the old lady's serious illness from being discovered in time, Galawang arranged the maid to live next door to the old lady.

Every time Galawang came home, he could always see his wife who was obsessed with cleanliness dressed like this: she wore cotton gloves on her hands, and a cap with a large tuft of colorful ribbons on her head. A flannelette wiped the few chairs in the house.With the slightest movement of her, the ribbon on the hat would slide over one ear.Every day she either waxed or wiped; either washed or brushed.Whenever others saw it, she would tell others: "Although my family is not rich, cleanliness is my highest luxury."

She is very stubborn, and she wants to make decisions about everything.Mr. Galawang barely intervened, even though he was 20 years older than his wife.Every night, from the dinner table to the bed, he reported to his wife like a pious man who confesses to a priest.After he reports to his wife, his wife will tell him what to do.Mrs. Galawang is short and thin, and she doesn't know how to dress up. The clothes on her body don't show that she is a woman at all.Although she was wearing a skirt, she kept putting it on one side.At home she always loved a hat with a large tuft of silk ribbons, which she thought looked the best.With or without anyone present, she scratched and scratched unconsciously.Over time, this eccentricity has become a part of her daily life.

When Mrs. Galawang saw her husband coming back, she immediately got up to greet her.After kissing Galawang on the cheek, she said, "You said you would take me to the Potain department store, do you remember?" Galawang promised his wife some time ago that he would accompany her to that store for errands , but he has forgotten for the fourth time.Facing his wife's questioning, he was very nervous, terrified in the chair, and argued strongly: "I've been thinking about this, but today there are too many things, so I finally forgot. I'm really sorry!" Annoyed, let the wife feel very sorry, so comfort him, as long as you don't forget it tomorrow.

"Is there any news in the Ministry today?" Mrs. Galawang asked.

"Of course there is! The deputy section chief has changed, and another tinsmith." Galawang replied.

"What? The chief of that department?" Mrs. Galawang immediately became serious.

Galawang replied, "Foreign Procurement Section."

"Did someone take over Ramon's position? My God! Why didn't you take over? Has Ramon retired?"

"He has retired." Galawang replied in a low voice.

After hearing the answer, Mrs. Galawang jumped up angrily, and the bonnet on her head fell to her shoulders. She said to her husband fiercely: "Look! It's over now. In your broken institution, you will never be able to do it for the rest of your life." Don't try to get ahead. What's the quartermaster's name?"

Galawang replied, "Bonasso."

Mrs. Galawang flipped through a naval yearbook and said: "Colonel Bonasso was born in 1851. He was a trainee quartermaster in 1871 and served as an assistant quartermaster four years later." She then asked: "This quartermaster Ever been out to sea?"

When his wife asked this question, Kalawang's nervousness completely disappeared. He said happily, "He is exactly the same as his boss Balaam." He said: "Once the Ministry sent them to Liming Port to inspect the work. The two dared not take the big boat, and even got dizzy after taking a small steamer."

What Galawang thought was ridiculous, his wife thought it was not worth laughing at all.She put her chin in her hand, thought for a while and said, "It would be great if I knew a member of parliament. Tell him about this kind of thing, and the parliament will naturally investigate in the ministry. At that time, the minister must be dismissed!"

Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted the couple's conversation.It turned out that their daughter and son who had just played in the mud pit came back. The two had an argument for some unknown reason.Mrs. Galawang was very angry, and rushed downstairs quickly, grabbed the arms of the two children, swore and shook them, and pushed the two children into the house in extreme anger.As soon as the two were pushed into the room, they saw their father, and hurried into his arms.Usually Karawang would pick them up, kiss them on the face, and let them sit on his lap to chat with him.

Galawang's son, Philippe August, was always dirty and his hair grew like a pile of weeds.Not only is he ugly, but he also has a sense of stupidity.Daughter Mary Louise was quite different, she looked a lot like her mother.She not only loves to imitate her mother's language, but also imitates her mother's every move. She often asks Galawang, "Is there any news in the ministry?"

Galawang smiled and replied, "Daughter, someone took over Ramon's position today. Do you remember Uncle Ramon? It is Uncle Ramon who used to come to our house for dinner every month." Mary Louise deliberately imitated The mother's tone said: "That is to say, you have no chance of being the section chief again?"

Speaking of this, Kalawang no longer had a smile on his face. He turned around and asked his wife, who was cleaning the glass in front of the window, if his mother was okay.

Mrs. Galawang said dismissively: "Hmph! I was just about to tell you about your mother! She made me miserable. Today I was out of the house. During this time, the barber's wife happened to Come to me to borrow a bag of starch. When your mother saw someone borrowing something, she called him a beggar and drove him away. The barber's wife told me about it, and I told you when I got home Mom paused. As usual, she pretended not to hear when others said something bad about her. To be honest, her hearing was better than mine. In front of the facts I presented, she didn't say anything, Just get angry and lock yourself in the house."

Just when Galawang didn't know what to say, the maid invited them to the restaurant for dinner.Every time, Kalawang would pick up the broom in the corner and knock on the ceiling a few times to inform his mother to eat.So he took the broom and tapped it three times on the ceiling, and then went to the dining room.After Mrs. Galawang served the meal, the family quietly waited for the old lady to go downstairs to eat.However, the soup was almost getting cold, and the old lady still didn't come down.Everyone was anxious, so they drank the soup slowly.Finally, the soup was finished, but the old lady was still nowhere to be seen.After a while, Mrs. Galawang complained to her husband, "Look, your mother, she is obviously against me, so you can just favor her like this." It was the mother's fault, so there was nothing I could do, so I had to ask my daughter to treat the old lady to dinner, while I sat on the chair with drooping eyes and looked down, motionless.The husband didn't say anything wrong to the mother-in-law, and Mrs. Galawang became upset and kept tapping the wine glass with the table knife.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the little daughter's face was like a blank sheet of paper, trembling all over, and panting, said: "Grandma, grandma, fainted!" Hearing this, Galawang jumped up, threw down the napkin, and turned to Run upstairs.His wife didn't get up immediately. She thought the old lady must be playing tricks, so she shrugged disdainfully and followed.

As soon as he entered the door, Galawang saw the old lady lying stiffly in the room.After he turned the old lady's body over, he saw a wrinkled face with no expression, sallow skin, closed eyes, clenched teeth, and her whole body became very stiff.Seeing this scene, he couldn't help kneeling down and crying softly: "Mom! Mom! You are so pitiful!"

"Okay! Don't cry, it's okay, it's just a faint. I think she didn't want us to eat on purpose." Said his wife, who watched behind him for a while.

The couple carried the old lady lying on the ground to the bed, took off her clothes, and called the maid to massage her together.After coming for a long time, the old lady still remained silent.The couple asked the maid to go to Su Leien, who was far away, to ask Chennai "doctor".It was a long time before "Doctor" Chenai arrived.He checked the old lady from beginning to end, took the pulse again and said that the old lady had passed away.

(End of this chapter)