TE21 Serbian Moments

Nikola Tutek

The Widower

Dr. Tironi produced a forced smile and he accompanied that attempt by stretching his neck to one side, quite unnaturally, with his eyebrows pulled high on his forehead. “I dunno,” he said. Then he exhaled and continued after a longer pause: “I guess when you were sick. Remember? When you had problems.” “Yeah,” said Egan, “They said it was Crohn. They said alcohol had done it.” “Right. You needed to do the tests urgently. It’s like that with Crohn. Mr. Crohn does not wait.” “You sent Kate toget you a referral for the specialist. You see, for this kind of test you have to wait for weeks, and, well, Gordon had a friend, and I suppose thatwas it” Dr. Tironi giggled, “Even if that wasn’t it… You know, Gordon was very persuasive.” Egan froze once more. If the count is right, for the fourth time in his life. Or fifth. Egan took a longer sip from now almost empty glass.

“Egan. Hey, buddy!”

Egan stopped at the door. He did not look at Dr. Tironi’s face.

“I am devastated.”

“Buddy, she loved you. These kinds of things happen.”

“It’s not that,” Egan stopped him, “She was a grown-upwoman. A strong woman. A tigress. I don’t care who she fucked with as long as she was a great wife and a great mother.”

“So, what is it?”

Egan paused.

“Did Gordon say something after it happened?”

Dr. Tironi gave it a thought. Alcohol had squeezed ripe beads of sweat out of his forehead. “If I rememberwell, Gordonwas astonished. He said Kate never said a word nor produced a sound, the whole time. He laughed about that. Kind of.” Egan nodded his head and went out without a word. He made several hasty steps away from the entrance to The Two Boars Tavern, and then he stopped. He did not turn around to look towards the door.

“Fuck, I told you I shouldn’t have told you.”

Egan got up. He started walking towards the exit. Dr. Tironi, panicky, followed after him.

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