"Suzette Haden Elgin - Peacetalk 101" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elgin Suzette Haden)

have to pay attention..To the world outside you, and the world within. You have to
listen,and you have to observe. Otherwise, things will change and youwon't even
know. This is the first thing, the one that has tocome before all the others. Nothing
else can happen until youhonor this First Rule."
"What?" Henry asked, befuddled now;he'd lost track. "This first what ?"
The homeless person laid one hand gently onHenry's arm and leaned toward him.
Henry hated that. The homelesswere dirty, they were covered with germs, you could
catch whoknows what. He pulled away, hard.
"The First Rule," the man answered,letting go of Henry's arm and folding his hands
in his lap. "TheFirst Rule is: PAY ATTENTION !"
A woman behind them said, "Well, you don'thave to yell !" Henry rolled his eyes; he
was gratefulthat his stop was next.
"I'm getting off!" he said throughclenched teeth, standing up and shoving past the
homeless person.


When he got home he walked straight into thekitchen and told his wife, "I had to ride
home this afternoonwith a crazy man in the seat next to me!"
He knew what she'd say back. She'd say, "Well,if you'd fix the car , Henry, you
wouldn't have to ride the bus!", and he'd answer with, "If you'd geta job and help
out , Elizabeth, I'd have enough money to fix the car!" He knew what she'd say then,
too; she'dsay, "Well, if you'd work a little harder, Henry,I wouldn't have to get a
job!" He got ready for allthat.
But he was looking at her as she answered him;he noticed that the expression on her
face wasn't right for thatscript, and he stopped. "What did you say, Elizabeth?"he
asked her.
"I said I'm sorry there's not enough moneyto get the car fixed."
Henry's mouth closed, and he stared at her.She looked tired, and she looked like she
was a little bit afraidof him. How long, he wondered, had she been looking at him
thatway? He didn't know, he realized; he had no idea. And then heremembered that
she had good reason to be afraid of him, althoughshe didn't know what he was
planning.
"That's okay," he said carefully,looking down at the floor so he wouldn't have to see
her eyes,wondering where she had put the child.
"It's okay, Elizabeth," he told thekitchen floor.


Henry tossed and turned that night. Miserableas he was, weary as he was, he
couldn't get to sleep. It was likesomebody had popped a tape recorder into his skull
and set itto play the same stupid tape over and over and over. The tapesaid: Listen,
a man that's only got fourteen days of his lifeleft, and the first one almost
over, has got to DO SOMEthing !Henry would think Do what? What? -- andit
would answer him with If you weren't such a loser, Henry,you'd know! And
Henry would think: Know what? What?
Just before midnight, just when he was surehe was going to lose his mind if it didn't
stop, a thought cameto him. All of a sudden, he knew what he could do. It wasn't
much,but it was better than nothing. He slipped out of bed and wentthrough the dark
house to the closet by the front door, wherehe was sure he would be able to find
what he needed.
Elizabeth wasn't a stingy woman, but she wascareful with money. She always bought