Read Absolute Sunset for Free Online

over again with wide eyes. She felt desirable. Yes! She still had it!
    “What do you mean?” he asked, putting an adjustable wrench into his toolbox. “I’m done, so I’m leaving.”
    “Don’t mess with me! Pants off, show me what you’ve got, and then there’ll be no room for doubt!” Sabina laughed and licked her lips. She was in her element. She had to have this man. Lust. Desire. Need. No butterflies in her stomach. Pure desire. Janusz had never been able to set her off this way. Even when they were watching skin flicks together, Sabina somehow didn’t feel excited at all. She’d just been doing what a good wife should do.
    “You’re nuts!” the plumber said, knocking on his forehead. He fixed his overalls and went to the door. “Old asshole, and still stupid even now.” He shook his head with pity and left, slamming the door. He didn’t even take his money.
    Sabina stared at the door for a moment. Finally she slowly locked it and went to the kitchen. “Fuck you,” she whispered and sat down by the window. She lit a cigarette and pulled on it once or twice. The smoke somehow didn’t taste good—it stuck to her palate, bitter and thick. Choking. She put the cigarette out and burst into tears, sobbing and choking with snot. It had been completely different in the past. The men had been eager to fuck her. Gas company workers and the ones from the
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administration. Once in a while some lusty pollster would show up. She called it “neat fucking.” No complaints. And now? Now it was different.
    About three p.m. she saw Hanka and Janusz at the end of the street. They were walking slowly, lost in conversation. The girl leaped and jumped around her father. Sabina had no clue why. She watched carefully, with a strange thrill. Longing—which was immediately replaced with irritation. Her husband and her daughter were oblivious to everything, and she spent all day alone, doing nothing. As they got closer, Sabina could see that they were laughing about something. Their joy fuelled her anger. By what right? By what right did they neglect her? She ran to the door and waited for them, her eye at the peephole. She could see her own eyelashes as she leaned against the convex glass.
    “There you are at last!” she said, jumping out to the stairwell as soon as she saw their heads surfacing above the steps. “I was waiting and waiting for you two!” she grumbled and marched off to the kitchen, stomping heavily. Let them run after her! Let them do something! Let them apologize.
    Janusz and Hanka took their shoes off and followed Sabina in silence. She was sure they had exchanged knowing looks in the hall. They were mocking her as usual, almost openly, in her own home!
    “We have fish,” Hanka muttered shyly, approaching the sink. “I’ll put it here,” she said and shook something out of a plastic bag. It slid on the stained enamel covering the sink and hissed. And then popped. Sabina got up from her stool. A pike. Its eyes had already gone cloudy. It had been boiled in the foil. Idiots, they couldn’t even transport the food properly!
    “What is this shit?” she roared and grabbed the fish by the tail.
    “Sabina, leave it, I’ll do it,” Janusz interrupted her shyly. He probably thought she was going to dress the pike! Not likely!
    “You’ll do nothing, because we’re not eating this!” Sabina yelled, banging the fish against the counter. Green scales flew up. The smell of the river spread through the kitchen.
    “But...” Hanka tried to take the pike back from her mother. Sabina pushed her straight towards the fridge. She hit the door handle with her head. She cried out, but not loudly. Still, it was enough for Sabina. She hated whining.
    “You fucking snot! Mucky cunt!” she roared and slapped Hanka in the face. White teeth flashed. Hanka fell to her knees. Yes! Sabina felt a wave, like applause. She took another swipe, two, three, more if needed.
    “Stop!” Janusz grabbed her by her