Коллекционер

           WhatthisisallleadingtoisIgotabitdrunkonceortwicewhenIwasinthePayCorps,especiallyinGermany,butIneverhadanythingtodowithwomen.IneverthoughtaboutwomenmuchbeforeMiranda.IknowIdon’thavewhatitisgirlslookfor;IknowchapslikeCrutchleywhojustseemplaincoarsetomegetonwellwiththem.SomeofthegirlsintheAnnexe,itwasreallydisgusting,thelooksthey’dgivehim.It’ssomecrudeanimalthingIwasbornwithout.(AndI’mgladIwas,ifmorepeoplewerelikeme,inmyopinion,theworldwouldbebetter.)

           Whenyoudon’thavemoney,youalwaysthinkthingswillbeverydifferentafter.Ididn’twantmorethanmydue,nothingexcessive,butwecouldseestraightawayatthehotelthatofcoursetheywererespectfulonthesurface,butthatwasall,theyreallydespisedusforhavingallthatmoneyandnotknowingwhattodowithit.TheystilltreatedmebehindthescenesforwhatIwas—aclerk.Itwasnogoodthrowingmoneyaround.Assoonaswespokeordidsomethingwegavethegameaway.Youcouldseethemsaying,don’tkidus,weknowwhatyouare,whydon’tyougobackwhereyoucamefrom.

           Irememberanightwewentoutandhadsupperataposhrestaurant.Itwasonalistthepoolspeoplegaveus.Itwasgoodfood,weateitbutIdidn’thardlytasteitbecauseofthewaypeoplelookedatusandthewaytheslimyforeignwaitersandeverybodytreatedus,andhoweverythingintheroomseemedtolookdownatusbecauseweweren’tbroughtuptheirway.Ireadtheotherdayanarticleaboutclassgoing—Icouldtellthemthingsaboutthat.Ifyouaskme,London’sallarrangedforthepeoplewhocanactlikepublicschoolboys,andyoudon’tgetanywhereifyoudon’thavethemannerbornandtherightla-di-davoice—Imeanrichpeople’sLondon,theWestEnd,ofcourse.