Читать книгу War/Peace - Matthew Vandenberg - Страница 33

'I'm confused,' I say, stepping into the house.'

'Confused about what side you belong to?' Chloe presses.

'Chloe,' Shaun says. 'Don't.'

'Shut up Shaun.' - She walks over to me. - 'You just forgot you're a south-sider, forgot you're a Catholic, forgot why we're fighting!? Or are you here to spy on us? And what can we do if you are? We're at your mercy. Three north-siders at the mercy of a south-sider. And where's your mate?'

'She'll be here soon,' I say. 'Look: Chloe is it?'

'Don't get all friendly with me bitch. It's people like you who are fuckin' up Sydney. The Harbour Bridge is down. The whole city is in ruins! And all because you hate America! All because you're all so fuckin' frigid!'

'I told you I don't understand what's going on,' I stress. 'Please. I'm just as confused as you are. I hear it was the north that bombed the bridge anyway.'

'You bitch!' Chloe yells. She runs at me but Shaun grabs her by the waist. 'Let me go! She's blaming us! She's blaming us for the destruction of the bridge, Shaun? Listen! Can you hear her? Can you hear what she's saying?'

'It doesn't matter,' Shaun says. 'It doesn't matter what fanatic person, or group of people, dropped the bomb on the bridge. I think the point Shelly's trying to make is that it wasn't her. Do you honestly think she had anything to do with the destruction of the bridge?'

'She's Catholic Shaun!' Chloe yells. 'She's goes to church, she listens to those evil muthafuckers, those pastors, and they tell them that the northerners are vermin!'

'That's right!' I yell. 'They do. But why do you think I'm here? Why do you think I decided to come here? Do you think I'm actually listening to them? Do you think I actually believe what they're saying? I've been good mates with Shaun, and Jackson for ever. We went to the same school before the war broke out! Don't you think I know that these guys aren't vermin? Don't you think I know that what these guys are preaching is nonsense?'

'But you're a Catholic,' Chloe says.

'Yeah. And up until a few weeks ago, especially when I was in the north, I respected the pastors, I listened to what they were saying. And I still listen to what they once said: I've got recordings on my iPod. I'm still a Catholic, but not the type of Catholic they want me to be now.'

'But you're still a Catholic?' Chloe presses.

'Chloe, does it matter?' Shaun asks. 'Seriously?'

'She's got an iPod here!' Chloe yells. 'Is that even legal? Ain't that contraband? Why is she aloud to bring it into the house?'

'Shaun, Chloe,' Jackson says. 'Do you remember one of the things the north is fighting for: freedom of speech. Chloe, don't you think Shelly has the right to listen to who she wants to listen to, to believe what she likes, so long as it doesn't cause anyone harm?'

'It's causing me harm!' Chloe says. ‘You got another thing coming if you think I’mma sit here and pray every night or something. She better not have a bible.'

'I don't,' I say. 'I promise. Look, I didn't come here to try and get you all to change or anything, I came here to be safe. I'm scared of what's going on out there, just like all of you.'

'C'mon Chloe,' Jackson says. 'Look at me: I'm a north-sider through and through. I've even slept with more guys than you have. So do you really think I'd just let any cold blooded south-sider into this joint. I've known Shelly for a long time. So has Shaun. She's a good mate. We can trust her.'

'I . . .' Chloe starts.

'Do you trust me, Chloe?' Jackson presses. 'Huh?'

'Well, yeah. Of course.'

'Then please. Let's see how things go, ok?'

'We have something for you. Jerri and I. We bought you these. Christmas presents.' - I hand Jackson three small boxes, red like blushing cheeks with ribbons as silky as lips.

'You didn't have to do this,' Jackson says, passing two over to Shaun.

Chloe backs away. She hoists herself onto a bench and sits there, watching as Jackson and Shaun open the gifts.

'C'mon Chloe,' Shaun says. 'It's just a small gift. We all celebrate Christmas, right.'

Chloe smiles. She walks over to Shaun and accepts the gift.

'I don't know if you have a tree here,' I say. 'It doesn't matter if you don't. But if you do these could maybe be placed on the tree. It's up to you guys.' - I weave some fingers through my hair.

'We do have one,' Jackson says. 'It's an old ladder with strings of lights wound around the rungs. The first few anyway.'

'A stairway,' Shaun says. 'Silly.'

I smile: 'No it's not,' I say. 'That sounds nice.'

Jackson smiles when he takes a small goomba out of the box: this strange toy of a Super Mario character has large fangs but angel wings also, and even though he wears a frown, he looks happy and content: 'It's a goomba,' I say. 'You love Super Mario so I thought I'd buy it for you. Actually, it's one of the last things I bought at the city before . . .'

'It's cute,' Jackson says. 'Thanks Shelly.'

'And that's a 1-up,' I say when Chloe looks up. 'You can have 1-up on me, see. Ha ha. I really don't want to argue with you while I'm here. Do you think maybe you could give me just this one chance? To prove myself?'

'This is crazy,' Chloe says. But she's smiling. She shakes her head and walks over to me. 'You're really strange. I knew you would be but . . . you're one of a kind.'

'Hug?' I ask.

Chloe pats me on the back once . . . twice: 'Thanks Shelly. I'm sorry. You have to understand that I was born and raised in the north. So it's not easy for me to just let someone like you into a house I'm staying in. But I promised these guys I'd give you a chance. I guess I almost broke that promise, huh? Look – we're mates. But if you hurt one of us, or try to change us then . . .'

'I won't,' I say. 'Promise.'

'A bag of mushrooms?' Shaun asks. 'Wait! You're kidding me? Shell, are you for real? How'd you get your hands on these?'

'They're legal,' I say.

'They're magic mushrooms?!' Chloe says. 'What do you mean they're legal?'

'They're legal in the south. I was asked to bring them into the house by some south-siders. It's the one thing they made me promise to do. And look – I'll be the first to try them, ok? I'll be the guinea pig.'

'Shelly, do you know what you're saying?' Jackson says. 'You've never gone anywhere near drugs in your life, except alcohol.'

'These are strange times,' I say. 'Really really strange times. SO what do you think Shaun? You like the present?'

'Love it,' Shaun says. 'You really surprise me sometimes Shelly.'

'Hey, Jerri's here!' I yell. 'She was a little scared, guys. That's why she wanted me to walk in first. Is it ok if Jerri comes in Chloe?'

'That'd be nice,' Shaun whispers.

Jackson nudges him hard.

'It's fine,' Chloe says. 'Let her in.'

******

References

1 Gale, A. (2010). Korea Tension Shifts to Tree. The Wall Street Journal Digital Network: Korea Realtime. Retrieved 23 December 2010 [BUT NOTE THAT THIS 'CHRISTMAS TREE' WAS ALSO IN THIS POSITION BEFORE 2004] from http://blogs.wsj.com/.../korea-tension-shifts-to.../

2 Griffiths, R. R., & Grob, C. S. (2010). Hallucinogens as Medicine. Scientific American, 303(6), 76-79. doi: 10.1038/scientificamerican1210-76