Цветы для Элджернона
PROGRESS REPORT 13
EachdayIlearnmoreandmoreaboutmyself,andthememoriesthatbeganasripplesnowwashovermeinhigh-breakingwaves....
June11
TheconfusionbeganfromthemomentwearrivedattheChalmersHotelinChicagoanddiscoveredthatbyerrorourroomswouldnotbevacantuntilthenextnightanduntilthenwewouldhavetostayatthenearbyIndependenceHotel.Nemurwasfurious.Hetookitasapersonalaffrontandquarrelledwitheveryoneinthelineofhotelcommandfromthebellhoptothemanager.Wewaitedinthelobbyaseachhotelofficialwentoffinsearchofhissuperiortoseewhatcouldbedone.
Inthemidstofalltheconfusion—luggagedriftinginandpilingupallaroundthelobby,bellboyshustlingbackandforthwiththeirlittlebaggagecarts,memberswhohadn’tseeneachotherinayear,recognizingandgreetingeachother—westoodtherefeelingincreasinglyembarrassedasNemurtriedtocollarofficialsconnectedwiththeInternationalPsychologicalAssociation.
Finally,whenitbecameapparentthatnothingcouldbedoneaboutit,heacceptedthefactthatwewouldhavetospendourfirstnightinChicagoattheIndependence.
Asitturnedout,mostoftheyoungerpsychologistswerestayingattheIndependence,andthatwaswherethebigfirst-nightpartieswere.Here,peoplehadheardabouttheexperiment,andmostofthemknewwhoIwas.Whereverwewent,someonecameupandaskedmyopinionsoneverythingfromtheeffectsofthenewtaxtothelatestarchaeologicaldiscoveriesinFinland.