Читать книгу The Restless - Gerty Dambury - Страница 17
Оглавление6.
We’re happy with our books, but it’s still a really strange day. Our teacher leaves the room; she abandons us after handing out our prizes. “Read silently; don’t make any noise. I’ll be back.”
We behave ourselves. Nobody pinches anyone; nobody tries to grab someone else’s book. Absolute calm, as she likes to say. We even smile, to reassure her.
“Of course, teacher, you can count on us.”
“Have we ever not done what you told us?”
“We’ll be good.”
“I’ll make sure things stay quiet in this classroom!”
But all this is making us sick to our stomachs. Nothing’s what it’s supposed to be on Wednesday, May 24.
The truth is, when she leaves, we all start to whisper:
“A week ahead of time.”
“What are these prizes all about?”
“Maybe she’s sick?”
“Maybe she’s going to die.”
“Stop saying stupid things.”
“Doesn’t she seem a little uptight today?”
“No hugs.”
“And she got really upset.”
“Like at the beginning of the month.”
Tanya, yes, it’s Tanya who murmurs something: “I’m afraid.”
Elizabeth yells, “It’s your fault, Moësa and Lycaon.”
“What did we do?”
“You had a fight in the courtyard.”
“That’s history!”
Papa, we call each other by our last names because we’re mad. Everybody’s mad. But why?
Moësa and Lycaon protest, “It’s always our fault.”
I don’t want us to quarrel. “Say you’re sorry, Elizabeth. You hurt their feelings.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Now let’s just shut up and wait.”
When our teacher returns, she has a tray in her hands and a basket full of bottles and aluminum tumblers in every color you can think of hanging from one arm.
“Our concierge, Madame Parize, made a cake for us. For a little celebration, our last celebration together.”
“Teacher, teacher, what are you saying?”
“Stay calm, children. Calm down. I have to tell you something. The man who came this morning—”
“That white guy!”
“That’s not polite, Émilienne, don’t say ‘that white guy.’ It’s not because he’s white. He thinks that—”
Elizabeth repeats, “That white guy.”
Madame Ladal sighs and then says, “Children, I must leave you. I’m not sure when. But by the end of this month, for certain, I won’t be here with you any longer. That’s why I gave you your report cards and your books. They belong to you now, but I hope you’ll continue exchanging them among yourselves. Don’t ever lose your love for books.”
