Цветы для Элджернона

           WhatIhadn’tnoticedbe­forewasthatthepartofthewallbehindmehadbeenclearedaway—allthefurniturepushedtoonesideoftheroomorthecenter,sothatthefarwall(theplasterofwhichhadbeentornofftoexposethebrick)servedasanartgallery.Paintingswerecrowdedtotheceilingandoth­erswerestackedagainsteachotheronthefloor.Severalofthemwereself-portraits,includingtwonudes.Thepaint­ingshehadbeenworkingonwhenIcamein,theoneontheeasel,wasahalf-lengthnudeofherself,showingherhairlong(notthewaysheworeitnow,upinblondebraidscoiledaroundherheadlikeacrown)downtohershoul­derswithpartofherlongtressestwistedaroundthefrontandrestingbetweenherbreasts.Shehadpaintedherbreastsuptiltedandfirmwiththenipplesanunrealisticlollipop-red.WhenIheardhercomingbackwiththebeer,Ispunawayfromtheeaselquickly,stumbledoversomebooks,andpretendedtobeinterestedinasmallautumnlandscapeonthewall.

           Iwasrelievedtoseethatshehadslippedintoathinraggedhousecoat—eventhoughithadholesinallthewrongplaces—andIcouldlookdirectlyatherforthefirsttime.Notexactlybeautiful,butherblueeyesandpertsnubnosegaveheracatlikequalitythatcontrastedwithherrobust,athleticmovements.Shewasaboutthirty-five,slenderandwellproportioned.Shesetthebeersonthehardwoodfloor,curledupbesidetheminfrontofthesofa,andmotionedformetodothesame.