英文短篇小說 森普利卡女孩日記 節錄

Описание: She has really been down.

Lilly’s b’day. Big day. Got her Semplica Girl (SG) diary, leather, very nice. Had inscription engraved: “To Our Special Girl on Her Special Day.” She loves it. Also got her gift card, good at any mall. She loves that, too. But best of all, of course, is: we got her the SGs!!!

Yes, we did it. Broke down, got the SGs.

How did we pull this off? Well, day after last entry, went to Scratch-Off place, bought $10 worth of scratch-offs, scratched them off in car, won $10,000!

Yes, $10,000!

Could not believe it. Kept looking at it. Kept getting out of car, going back in store, having guy behind counter look at it. He was very funny. Every time I came in, he’d do this big groan, like: Oh no, not you again. Then he’d look at it, smile, give me thumbs-up, try to buy it from me for $100. Finally, on fourth time, he said: Look, you won. Okay? You won. Now please, please, go cash it in, before you wear it out and it becomes invalid.

So I did. Cashed it in. Got one of those huge cardboard checks. Drove home with it sticking out of window. People honking, waving, giving me thumbs-up.

Got home, hid check under mattress, then, at dinner, said to Pam and girls: Hey, what the heck, let’s go for a drive. Drove to Greenway, where they have the big SG display on the roof. Parked across street, on bluff, where you can look down and see all the SGs. Girls so excited, pointing out ones they like. Then I say: Pick one. Go ahead, pick one. They say, What do you mean, pick one? I say, Just what I say: pick one. They say, Why? I say, Just pick one, pick one! They say, Okay, okay, and start pointing out ones they like. I say, No, pick a set, you have to pick a set. They say, Why do we have to pick a set? I say, You have to pick a set, because we’re getting a set, that’s why!

They go, What? What? What do you mean, we’re getting a set?

I say, We’re getting a set, that’s what I mean, we’re getting a set, right now, tonight!

They go, No way, no way!

I say, Yes way, yes way!

They go, How, how, how?

I say, Remember how I went out this morning? Well, guess what, I bought some scratch-offs, and guess what, we won some money, and guess what, we won enough money to get some SGs!

They go, How much, how much?

I say, You want to see how much?

They go, Yes, yes, yes!

I say, Okay, then, and reach under the seat and pull out the big cardboard check.

They go, Ahhhhhh!

They can’t believe it. They grab the check, hold it up to the light, rub it on their faces.

Then we all get out of car, run across street, go into Greenway. Leslie Torrini is there, with her mom. Leslie Torrini is girl Lilly most wants to be friends with. Leslie Torrini sees us come in, sees me holding big cardboard check, sees Pam and girls so happy, and looks: confused. Then she looks: mad. Then she looks: sad. Then she looks away. Ha ha, Leslie Torrini. Too bad, so sad. Maybe you should not have been so mean to Lilly at school, maybe you should not have made fun of her clothes, maybe you should not have acted like you are so great, just because your dad is rich and bought you a bunch of SGs.

We go up to roof. So many SGs to choose from. Lilly picks four: Tami (Ethiopia), Gwen (Moldova), Lisa (Somalia), Betty (Laos). Very cute, very nice. Look so beautiful up there on the roof, in their white smocks, smiling, swaying in breeze. Man comes, takes them down, puts them in special heated van. We pay, sign contract, give our address, tell them when to deliver.

Drive home. Girls so happy. Pam so happy. I am so happy.

Best night of our lives.

Next day, they deliver SGs. Man comes with big spool of microline. Hooks SGs up, one by one. Runs line through little hooks on tops of their heads. Uses special tool to tighten line. When done, they are all up there, in a row, smiling, holding hands. SGs look around, seem to like our yard, especially big maple. Man says they will be fine, no need to worry, they are very strong, very adaptable, can handle any climate. Says we should talk to them, be nice to them, but not spoil them, not baby them. Says they are here to work, not play. Says they know that, says they are very grateful for this opportunity. Says they have had hard lives, have seen many bad things. Says this is like heaven for them. Says they send money home to their families, who are very poor. Says we are doing a good thing, a generous thing. Says we should be proud.

We are proud. We are very proud.