Читать книгу Nothing Happens Just Like That - Алин А - Страница 3

* * *

I have a feeling I’m being watched… since a month ago or so. Anywhere I go, anything I do. Even my home doesn’t seem to be a safe place for me anymore.

A month ago, I invited my best friend Susan for a lunch. We went to our favourite restaurant “Asian”, which offers a divine view to one of the most beautiful cities in the world – New York. Many people dream of getting here and realize their, as they say, “American dream”.

I was born and raised here. I believe that’s why I take everything for granted. I have even stopped noticing the privilege, the beauty and the majesty that surround me.

Since I had no appetite but still needed something to eat, I decided to order a salad with avocado and shrimps, which was as delicious as always.

– Come on Adri, you must be kidding! A shrimp salad? Why don’t you order what I did, a steak with pommes?

– No, I have no appetite and shrimp salad is nourishing enough.

– Well, if you say so. How are you? How is it with Alen?

No, I could no longer pretend that all was fine and who else should i trust if not my best friend.

– Well, it’s over.

Sue nearly dropped the glass of water she was holding. Anytime she experienced a shock, Sue would drop anything she had in her hands. Alen and I were to Sue the dream couple. In her opinion, we had the ideal relationship and were an example for her. Now, however, I felt as if I was betraying my best friend for shattering her picture of an ideal couple. If only Sue knew, how sorry I was…

The waiter brought our order and I thought it was the right time for changing the subject of the conversation.

– And how are you? When are you planning to hand over your report? I will come to listen to you with a big pleasure. Eventually, not every day there is an opportunity to listen to the story of the birth of different accessories and perfume.

And then for the first time, I had this feeling of being watched.

I looked around but saw nobody.

– Honey, don’t interrupt and stop shrinking the started threads. Listen, but may be it will get better and somehow be settled?

– No, Sue, it won’t. Alen is moving to Philadelphia today. He got a new job there. Unfortunately, everything that has a beginning has its end as well. But let’s be positive. The end of something means the beginning of something else, doesn’t it?

After speaking, I again had this strange feeling.

– Is something wrong? You look kind of pale, – Sue looked really concerned.

– No, no, it’s ok.

– Looking at you one wouldn’t say so.

Hastily glancing at the watch, I forced myself to swallow at least half of the salad and said that I had a lot of work to do and had to run, leaving Sue sitting with a dazed expression on her face.

* * *

I just needed to get away. Where to? It didn’t matter, what mattered was just to get rid of that annoying feeling of being watched.

In order to get at least a bit distracted and to bring my thoughts in order, I decided to have a walk along Manhattan.

Shutting my ears with the earphones and listening to one of the melodies, which had this magic ability to calm me down, e.g. “The story of one love” by Louis Miguel, I moved along Central Park towards Manhattan.

I could not help wondering about the history of origin of my city, which the New-yorkers themselves call “Big Apple”. How and why the nickname “Big Apple” or “City of Big Apple” appeared, no one knows exactly. There are a few versions.

New York tour guides from Brighton Beach say, that the association between the „apple“ and New York arose, because the first tree planted by the first settlers and which gave the first fruit, was the apple tree, and therefore the apple became the symbol of New York.

Another version is clearly of a French origin. In 19th century, in New York, there were quite many brothels and a fresh and young prostitute was call an apple. This naming was floated by a french aristocrat Evelyn Claudine de Saint Emerdon, who immigrated to New York and opened one of the first salons, where the young men from wealthy families could meet up with the girls, who were called “Apples of Eve”.

Another version explains that this name originated in 1920-s, and was used for the first time by a sport columnist of “New York Morning Telegraph” newspaper John Fitzgerald. At this time, New York racetracks enjoyed great renown. Fitzgerald used to say, that in New Orlean, he had heard from the jockeys the following expression: “The horses love apples, and horse racing in New York is a “big apple”. He picked up this expression and was using it in his story about New York racing world. He named his chronicle “Around the Big Apple”. Therefore, at the intersection of Broadway and West 54th Street, one can see the plate “Big Apple Corner”, established in honor of John Fitzgerald.

But the most often told story was the proverb, which was common among the jazz musicians:

“On a tree of success there are lots of apples, but if you manage to win New York city, you got the big apple”. John F. Kennedy himself said the following about New York: “Most of the cities – is a noun, but New York – it is a verb”.

The city was called New York in 1664 in honor of the British King James II – the Duke of York, when the British finally conquered the island, which before was called New Amsterdam or New Orange.

How it had changed since that time! I recalled the photos of the city taken in early twenties, which I had seen in the album of my great-grandmother, to understand, see and feel the development of the city as of a living organism.

My great-grandmother, Satenik, who at the age of 16 migrated from Western Armenia during the great Armenian massacres, used to tell my grandmother, and she in her turn to me, about her first impression of arriving in America.

But one thing definitely remained unchanged: New York has been and remains the embodiment of poverty and super wealth, as well as of impossible possibilities.

* * *

Returning back to the work, I still couldn’t concentrate on anything.

And again, I had the feeling of being watched, even here on the fifteenth floor of the building near to the Central Park, which is leased as offices.

But how is it possible when I am all alone in my office?

I am most probably worn out and need a break. Yes, exactly, a vacation, that’s what I need. I will go to my boss right away and tell him that next week I am off for, at least, ten days.