No Smoking

The fields stretched away flat to the horizon. It was dawn. Ben stood at the bedroom window,
Karens cup of tea in his hand. He wondered if he should mention the smoke to her.
Theyd rented the house for three months while they looked for something more permanent. Ben
had ust returned from teaching in Hong Kong to a research post in !ambridge. "ctually the house was
two old farm#labourers cottages knocked into one. The agency claimed it was $%e&enteenth !entury' ( it
certainly had atmosphere.
He handed Karen her tea, then tip#toed to the cradle in the corner, where three#month old )ason lay
fast#asleep. He decided he must mention it now.
*I dont know if its my imagination, but I smelled tobacco smoke during the night.
*+ou must ha&e been dreaming, darling, she said, *neither of us smokes and the nearest house is at
least two hundred yards away.
*,o. I didnt dream it. "nd this wasnt the first time. I&e smelt it at least three times now.
They agreed that, if it happens again, he would wake her.
The ne-t night he woke at two#thirty. The tobacco smell was there again. He gently woke Karen.
*There. !an you smell it now. he whispered. *It smells like some old brand/ you know, the sort
that people used to roll their own cigarettes.
*+oure right. I can smell it. Its almost as if someone was in the room with us0 Ben suddenly felt
the hair on the back of his neck prickling. They both got up and went to the cradle. The smell of tobacco
was stronger there. 1n impulse, Karen picked up )ason and took him back to bed with her.
*2e&e got to do something, Ben. Im frightened.
%hortly afterwards Karen mentioned the night smoker to the old &icar, whod come &isiting his
new parishioners.
*Hm. 3ery strange. 1f course, your bedroom is part of the house where )em %ykes used to li&e.
Tragic really. He &olunteered for the 4546#47 war. He was gassed at 8oos in 4549. his wife went mad
when she heard. They had a small baby too. 1ne night she smothered it, then hanged herself. 3ery sad
story. )em was always smoking. He used to roll his own. +ou cant buy that sort of tobacco any more: *
That night Karen put up *,o %moking notices all around the house.
*I cant think what else to do, she said, before they fell into an uneasy sleep.
It was ;a.m. when Ben woke. The tobacco smell was there ( stronger then e&er. He felt there was
another presence in the room. He got up and walked to the cot where )ason was sleeping peacefully.
2ithout thinking what he was doing, he began to talk to the in&isible presence.
*It must ha&e been terrible for you, he began. *+ou must ha&e lo&ed your chilled ust as we lo&e
ours. I know you dont mean to harm )ason. I hope youll go on watching o&er him for us. But theres ust
one thing< I wonder if you could manage not to smoke in the house. 2ere afraid it might affect )asons
health. =o you mind. But please come as often as you like.
Ben did not remember getting back into bed. In the morning he wondered if his *con&ersation had
been a dream. But that night there was no tobacco smell in the house.
*Thank you, said Ben, as he kissed )ason goodnight, *I knew youd understand.