Summary

Chapter 4, “Cleanness,” takes place at a time when the narrator and R. are still in a relationship together. R. is from Portugal. Like the narrator, R. is temporarily living and working in Bulgaria. The narrator waits in the restaurant where he and R. agreed to meet, but R. is running late. R. grew up in a rural town in the Portuguese archipelago know as the Azores. R. dislikes his rural upbringing and is determined never to reside there again. R. arrives at the restaurant, and they begin to converse and order food. They have a kind and intimate relationship. Originally, the narrator had not wanted to pursue a serious relationship with R., as he is 21 years old, and the narrator is in his mid-to-late twenties. They originally met on a dating site, and their relationship eventually began to grow more serious and intimate. R...