Читать книгу The Least of These - Andrew E Matthews - Страница 4

Something happened today.

Something very small, something seemingly insignificant, yet something that sits me now at an old typewriter, tapping these words, typed letters appearing on the paper... for whom? For me? For you?

Earlier today I stood in front of a small bookshop on a street in Kolkata. I stood looking at a book, small and thin like the shop, cheaply bound. I stood looking at the cover on which was a picture of a man. A man I knew.

Once.

Above the man lies the title. Yes, I bought the book. I assume this title is a play on words…Staines of India- there was a man, Staines, and there were things that happened, things that are a stain on India.

I didn't know they were going to happen.

If I had known I would never have gone to Orissa with a heavily pregnant wife. Not that there were many alternatives... but I'm making excuses.

As Mishra pointed out, I was young and inexperienced. And foolish.