Девять рассказов
De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period
ThetroublewithPicasso,IexplainedtoM.Yoshotoaswegotoutofthebus,wasthatheneverlistenedtoanybody—evenhisclosestfriends.
In1939,LesAmisDesVieuxMaitresoccupiedthesecondfloorofasmall,highlyunendowed-looking,three-storybuilding—atenementbuilding,really—intheVerdun,orleastattractive,sectionofMontreal.Theschoolwasdirectlyoveranorthopedicappliancesshop.Onelargeroomandatiny,boltlesslatrinewerealltherewastoLesAmisDesVieuxMaitresitself.Nonetheless,themomentIwasinside,theplaceseemedwondrouslypresentabletome.Therewasaverygoodreason.Thewallsofthe"instructors’room"werehungwithmanyframedpictures—allwatercolors—donebyM.Yoshoto.Occasionally,Istilldreamofacertainwhitegooseflyingthroughanextremelypale-bluesky,with—anditwasoneofthemostdaringandaccomplishedfeatsofcraftsmanshipI’veeverseen—thebluenessofthesky,oranethosofthebluenessofthesky,reflectedinthebird’sfeathers.ThepicturewashungjustbehindMme.Yoshoto’sdesk.Itmadetheroom—itandoneortwootherpicturesclosetoitinquality.
Mme.Yoshoto,inabeautiful,blackandcerisesilkkimono,wassweepingthefloorwithashort-handledbroomwhenM.YoshotoandIenteredtheinstructors’room.Shewasagray-hairedwoman,surelyaheadtallerthanherhusband,withfeaturesthatlookedrathermoreMalayanthanJapanese.Sheleftoffsweepingandcameforward,andM.Yoshotobrieflyintroducedus.SheseemedtomeeverybitasinscrutableasM.Yoshoto,ifnotmoreso.
