Читать книгу Chasing the King of Hearts - Ханна Кралль - Страница 5

Shoelaces

She buys shoelaces for a pair of men’s shoes—such a trivial purchase.

As she’s buying them, she still thinks she’s in love with Jurek Szwarcwald. Everybody thinks that, especially Jurek’s parents. Jurek isn’t ugly and he isn’t boring. He isn’t poor, either. Izolda is wearing his shoes because a bomb destroyed the house on Ogrodowa Street and now she can’t get into her apartment, let alone her wardrobe.

She stops at her friend Basia Maliniak’s. Just for a moment, to thread the new laces.

A young man is standing by the stove, warming his hands on the tiles. He’s tall and slender, with straight, golden hair. His hands have a golden tinge. When he sits down he spreads his legs and drops his arms—nonchalantly, almost absentmindedly. His hands just hang there, helpless, and even more beautiful. She learns he has two first names, Yeshayahu Wolf, and that Basia calls him Shayek.

She takes her time lacing her shoes. After an hour Shayek says: You have the eyes of a rabbi’s daughter. An hour later he adds: A skeptical rabbi.

Basia sees her to the door and hisses: I could kill you right now.