Flights

The story of Kunicki, whose wife and son disappeared while on vacation in Croatia, resumes. Three days after disappearing, Jagoda and their son return. Jagoda claims that they became lost, found shelter during the flood, and returned when they could, but Kunicki is convinced she is lying. He is obsessed with discovering the truth. Though they have returned home, Kunicki suffers from nightmares of the flood and stays up at night to listen to Jagoda talking in her sleep, hoping for a clue as to what she really experienced during her disappearance. Kunicki notices that his wife has changed in small, seemingly unconnected ways, like wearing different pajamas and lipstick. While cooking dinner, Kunicki cannot restrain himself from asking Jagoda what happened on Vis. Jagoda becomes angry with him for not trusting her. She claims, “It just happens that people disappear for a little while, you know?” (337).

Kunicki puts all of his energy into collecting details about his wife, worried that he failed to notice something crucial: “And when you don’t remember it means it never happened” (388). He remembers that they fought at the border of Slovenia and Croatia shortly before she disappeared but is unsure of what that argument might have meant for her.