Цветы для Элджернона

           Thenwe’reattheAdultCenterfortheRetarded,andshe’sreadingovermyshoulderasIwritemycomposishunscompositions.

           SchoolchangesintoP.S.13andI’melevenyearsoldandMissKinnianiselevenyearsoldtoo,butnowshe’snotMissKinnian.She’salittlegirlwithdimplesandlongcurlsandhernameisHarriet.WeallloveHarriet.It’sValentinesDay.

           Iremember...

           IrememberwhathappenedatP.S.13andwhytheyhadtochangemyschoolandsendmetoP.S.222.ItwasbecauseofHarriet.

           IseeCharlie—elevenyearsold.Hehasalittlegold-colorlocketheoncefoundinthestreet.There’snochain,buthehasitonastring,andhelikestotwirlthelocketsothatitbunchesupthestring,andthenwatchitunwind,spinningaroundwiththesunflickingintohiseyes.

           Sometimeswhenthekidsplaycatchtheylethimplayinthemiddleandhetriestogettheballbeforeoneofthemcatchesit.Helikestobeinthemiddle—evenifhenevercatchestheball—andoncewhenHymieRothdroppedtheballbymistakeandhepickedituptheywouldn’tlethimthrowitbuthehadtogointhemiddleagain.

           WhenHarrietpassesby,theboysstopplayingandlookather.AlltheboysloveHarriet.Whensheshakesherheadhercurlsbounceupanddown,andshehasdimples.Charliedoesn’tknowwhytheymakesuchafussaboutagirlandwhytheyalwayswanttotalktoher(he’dratherplayballorkick-the-can,orringo-leviothantalktoagirl)butalltheboysareinlovewithHarrietsoheisinlovewithhertoo.