×àðëüç Áóêîâñêè
ïîñëå òåëåôîííîãî ðàçãîâîðà ñ áûâøåé æåíîé ñ êîòîðîé íå âèäåëñÿ 20 ëåò
ÿ âçÿë å¸ íîìåð ó äðóãà
îíà áûëà â Òåõàñå è íîìåð å¸ îòâåòèë:
"õåëëî" - ñêàçàëà îíà.
"ýé, äåòêà" - ñêàçàë ÿ - " óãàäàé êòî ýòî."
"ÿ çíàþ êòî ýòî" - ñêàçàëà îíà.
ýòî áûë âñ¸ òîò æå íåãðóáûé ëåäÿíîé ãîëîñ
òîëüêî òåïåðü îí áûë òâ¸ðäûì îò íåíàâèñòè.
"êàê äåëà?" - ñïðîñèë ÿ.
"ó ìåíÿ âñ¸ â ïîðÿäêå" - îòâåòèëà îíà.
"à ÿ âñ¸ òàêîé æå" -ñêàçàë ÿ.
"äà" - îòâåòèëà îíà - "ïðåäïîëàãàþ ÷òî òàê è åñòü."
"íó" - ñêàçàë ÿ - "ÿ ïðîñòî õîòåë ïîçäîðîâàòüñÿ."
îíà íå îòâåòèëà.
"÷òî æ" - ñêàçàë ÿ - "æåëàþ óäà÷è. ïîêà."
"ïîêà" - ñêàçàëà îíà.
ÿ ïîëîæèë òðóáêó.
íó, ÿ äóìàþ, òåëåôîííûé ñ÷¸ò íå áóäåò
áîëüøèì.
ÿ âîø¸ë â ñîñåäíþþ êîìíàòó ñêàçàë ñâîåé
ïîäðóæêå: "ýòî ïîðàçèòåëüíî. ñïóñòÿ 20 ëåò
îíà âñ¸ åù¸ íåíàâèäèò ìåíÿ."
"òû âûçûâàåøü íåíàâèñòü ó ëþäåé" - ñêàçàëà îíà.
ÿ ïîø¸ë íà êóõíþ ÷òîáû ïðîâåðèòü ìîåãî ãîëóáîãî
îêåàíñêîãî ëîáñòåðà îí ïðåêðàñíî êèïåë. à òåïåðü è îíà
òîæå.
from "Open All Night"
12.07.19
upon phoning an x-wife not seen for 20 years
I got her number from a friend of mine
she was in Texas and the number rang:
“hello,” she said.
“hey, baby,” I said, “guess who this is.”
“I know who this is,” she said.
it was the same icy cultured voice
only now it was crisp with hatred.
“how ya doing?” I asked.
“I’m doing all right,” she answered.
“I’m still the same,” I said.
“yes,” she answered, “I suppose that you are.”
“well,” I said, “I just wanted to say hello.”
she didn’t answer.
“well,” I said, “lots of luck. goodbye.”
“goodbye,” she said.
I put the phone down.
well, I thought, that won’t be much of a
phone bill.
I walked into the other room and told my
girlfriend: “it’s astonishing. she still hates me
after 20 years.”
“you bring that out in people,” she said.
I walked into the kitchen to inspect my blue Maine
lobster. it was boiling nicely. and now she was
too.