JOHN FOWLES

The Collector - fragments
 

WHEN she was home from her boarding-school I used to see her almost every day sometimes, because their house was right opposite the Town Hall Annexe. She and her younger sister used to go in and out a lot, often with young men, which of course I didn't like. When I had a free moment from the files and ledgers I stood by the window and used to look down over the road over the frosting and sometimes I'd see her. In the evening I marked it in my observations diary, at first with X, and then when I knew her name with M. I saw her several times outside too. I stood right behind her once in a queue at the public library down Crossfield Street. She didn't look once at me, but I watched the back of her head and her hair in a long pigtail. It was very pale, silky, like Burnet cocoons. All in one pigtail coming down almost to her waist, sometimes in front, sometimes at the back. Sometimes she wore it up. Only once, before she came to be my guest here, did I have the privilege to see her with it loose, and it took my breath away it was so beautiful, like a mermaid.

Laura Adam

John Fowles
 

Cand era in vizita acasa de la internat, uneori obisnuiam sa o vad aproape in fiecare zi, deoarece casa lor era exact peste drum de cladirea Town Hall. Ea impreuna cu sora ei mai mica obisnuiau sa iasa foarte mult, de obicei cu barbati tineri, ceea ce normal ca nu imi placea. Cand luam o pauza de la dosarele si cartile de contabilitate, stateam la geam si ma uitam peste drum peste suprafata inghetata, iar cateodata o vedeam. Seara, notam in jurnalul meu cu observatii, la inceput cu X, apoi, dupa ce i-am aflat numele, cu M. Am vazut-o si afara de cateva ori. Odata am stat chiar in spatele ei la o coada din biblioteca publica din strada Crossfield. Nu s-a uitat la mine nici macar o data, dar i-am privit ceafa si parul care era strans intr-o coada lunga. Era foarte deschis, matasos, precum coconii Burnet. Tot parul intr-o coada care ii ajungea aproape de talie, cateodata purtata in fata, cateodata pe spate. Cateodata, o purta prinsa sus. Doar o singura data, inainte sa fie oaspetele meu aici, am avut privilegiul de a o vedea cu parul desfacut si mi-a taiat rasuflarea, atat de frumos era, ca al unei sirene.