He coughs. It is a wet cough.
Isobel does not say anything. One of her hands is in her hair. She pulls it.
Mr. Koch makes more noises in his throat. He puts his cigarette to his mouth. He draws deeply on it. It makes him cough.
He shakes his head.
He stops coughing. He says: ‘It is impossible.’
Isobel pulls her hair over her face. She has to look at Mr. Koch. She knows she has to look at Mr. Koch. She cannot pull her hair over her face. She is pulling her hair over her face.
She moves her hand so it is pushing at her hair. She pushes her hair onto the top of her head.
She is still looking into her cup of coffee. She is holding it with one hand. Her other hand is holding on to her hair.
She has to look up. She is pale. Her eyes are open too wide. She is grinding her teeth together.
Mr. Koch sees her hands moving her hair. He drinks from his cup of coffee. He makes a noise in his throat.
Mr. Koch says: ‘What would you do?’
Isobel stops pushing at her hair. She does not understand. If she looked at him she would understand. She does not look at him. She cannot look at him. She is afraid.
She says: ‘What?’ It is a whisper.
Mr. Koch says: ‘If you worked for me. What would you do?’
She lets go of her hair. It falls into her face. She still does not look at Mr. Koch. Mr. Koch is looking at her. Under her dress, she is sweating. He puts his cigarette to his mouth. Isobel looks into her cup of coffee.
She does not say anything. Her shoulders drop.
Mr. Koch takes his cigarette from his mouth. He says: ‘What would you do?’
Isobel says: ‘I don’t know.’
Mr. Koch blows smoke into the room. He coughs.
He says: ‘You see?’
He puts his cigarette to his mouth. He is still coughing. He draws on his cigarette.
He says: ‘It is not possible.’
Mr. Koch says: ‘It is not possible.’ He says: ‘And that is that.’
He puts out his cigarette. There is an ashtray on his desk. It is filled with cigarette butts. He starts to stand.
Isobel says: ‘No.’
She looks at Mr. Koch. It hurts her. She looks at him.
She says: ‘No.’
She says: ‘I could work for you.’
Mr Koch says: ‘Isobel.’ He says: ‘Be reasonable.’
He says: ‘Go back to your family. What you’ve done doesn’t matter. They will take you back. They are your family.’
Isobel says: ‘No.’
Mr. Koch looks at Isobel. He says: ‘You cannot ask me to do this.’
Isobel’s coffee spills. She can feel it through her dress. It is hot. She does not breathe.
Isobel says: ‘I could work for you.’
Mr. Koch looks at Isobel. Her mouth is trembling. She is going to cry. She is not going to cry. She will not. Her eyes are hard.
Mr. Koch is not well. He is old. He makes noises in his throat. He coughs.
He drinks from his cup of coffee. Isobel looks at him. Mr. Koch grumbles.
He says: ‘It is not a simple thing you are asking.’
Isobel says: ‘I could work for you.’
Mr. Koch sighs. He shakes his head. He coughs into his hand.
Mr. Koch says: ‘There are crates in the back.’
He stands up. He is old. He stands up slowly. It is getting harder for him to stand up. He is old and he weighs too much. He starts to move towards the door.
He says: ‘You could help me unpack them.’
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