Narrator

The unnamed first person narrator of the short story is a white man of indiscriminate age. He is married to Lerice, and a citizen of South Africa. Shortly before the start of the story, the narrator and his wife have moved 10 miles out of Johannesburg. They bought a farm along a main road, in hopes that relocating outside the city might fix their marital problems. The narrator insists nothing has changed within or between them since the move. However, Lerice has become invested in the land while the narrator has not.

He continues working in the city at a travel agency, and is only on the farm in the evenings and on the weekends. Sometimes he tries convincing himself that they made the right decision by moving. He feels especially convinced of their choice when friends come to visit on Sunday afternoons. He finds himself declaring about the...