Read Online Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jane Bowles
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world all their life on a boat I tell them: 'You don't know what you're missing, I'm through with you, boy.' I don't like them when they are like that. But now I am in love with this nice man who is here in business. Most of the time he can pay my rent for me. Not always every week. He is very happy to have me. Most of the men are very happy to have me. I don't hold my head too high for that. It's from God that it comes." Pacifica crossed herself.
"I once was in love with an older woman," said Mrs. Copperfield eagerly, "She was no longer beautiful, but in her face I found fragments of beauty which were much more exciting to me than any beauty that I have known at its height. But who hasn't loved an older person? Good Lord!"
"You like things which are not what other people like, don't you? I would like to have this experience of loving an older woman. I think that is sweet, but I really am always in love with some nice man. It is lucky for me, I think. Some of the girls, they can't fall in love any more. They only think of money, money, money. You don't think so much about money, do you?" She asked Mrs. Copperfield.
"No, I don't."
"Now we rest a little while, yes?" The girl lay down on the bed and motioned to Mrs. Copperfield to lie down beside her. She yawned, folded Mrs. Copperfield's hand in her own, and fell asleep almost instantly. Mrs. Copperfield thought that she might as well get some sleep too. At that moment she felt very peaceful.
They were awakened by a terrific knocking at the door. Mrs. Copperfield opened her eyes and in a second she was a prey to the most overwhelming terror. She looked at Pacifica, and her friend's face was not very much more reassuring than her own.
"Callate!" she whispered to Mrs. Copperfield reverting to her native tongue.
"What is it? What is it?" asked Mrs. Copperfield in a harsh voice. "I don't understand Spanish."
"Don't say a word," repeated Pacifica in English.
"I can't lie here without saying a word. I know I can't. What is it?"
"Drunken man. In love with me. I know him well. He hurt me very bad when I sleep with him. His boat has come in again."
The knocking grew more insistent and they heard a man's voice saying:
"I know you are there, Pacifica, so open the bloody door."
"Oh, open it, Pacifica!" pleaded Mrs. Copperfield, jumping up from the bed. "Nothing could be worse than this suspense."
"Don't be crazy. Maybe he is drunk enough and he will go away."
Mrs. Copperfield's eyes were glazed. She was becoming hysterical.
"No, no—I have always promised myself that I would open the door if someone was trying to break in. He will be less of an enemy then. The longer he stays out there, the angrier he will get. The first thing I will say to him when I open the door is: 'We are your friends,' and then perhaps he will be less angry."
"If you make me even more crazy than I am I don't know what to do," said Pacifica. "Now we just wait here and see if he goes away. We might move this bureau against the door. Will you help me move it against the door?"
"I can't push anything!" Mrs. Copperfield was so weak that she slid along the wall onto the floor.
"Have I got to break the God-damned door in?" the man was saying.
Mrs. Copperfield rose to her feet, staggered over to the door, and opened it.
The man who came in was hatchet-faced and very tall. He had obviously had a great deal to drink.
"Hello, Meyer," said Pacifica. "Can't you let me get some sleep?" She hesitated a minute, and as he did not answer her she said again: "I was trying to get some sleep."
"I was tight asleep," said Mrs. Copperfield. Her voice was higher than usual and her face was very bright, "I am sorry we did not hear you right away. We must have kept you waiting a long time."
"Nobody ever kept me waiting a long time," said Meyer, getting redder in the face. Pacifica's eyes were narrowing. She was beginning to lose her temper.
"Get out of my room," she said to Meyer.
In answer to this, Meyer fell
"I once was in love with an older woman," said Mrs. Copperfield eagerly, "She was no longer beautiful, but in her face I found fragments of beauty which were much more exciting to me than any beauty that I have known at its height. But who hasn't loved an older person? Good Lord!"
"You like things which are not what other people like, don't you? I would like to have this experience of loving an older woman. I think that is sweet, but I really am always in love with some nice man. It is lucky for me, I think. Some of the girls, they can't fall in love any more. They only think of money, money, money. You don't think so much about money, do you?" She asked Mrs. Copperfield.
"No, I don't."
"Now we rest a little while, yes?" The girl lay down on the bed and motioned to Mrs. Copperfield to lie down beside her. She yawned, folded Mrs. Copperfield's hand in her own, and fell asleep almost instantly. Mrs. Copperfield thought that she might as well get some sleep too. At that moment she felt very peaceful.
They were awakened by a terrific knocking at the door. Mrs. Copperfield opened her eyes and in a second she was a prey to the most overwhelming terror. She looked at Pacifica, and her friend's face was not very much more reassuring than her own.
"Callate!" she whispered to Mrs. Copperfield reverting to her native tongue.
"What is it? What is it?" asked Mrs. Copperfield in a harsh voice. "I don't understand Spanish."
"Don't say a word," repeated Pacifica in English.
"I can't lie here without saying a word. I know I can't. What is it?"
"Drunken man. In love with me. I know him well. He hurt me very bad when I sleep with him. His boat has come in again."
The knocking grew more insistent and they heard a man's voice saying:
"I know you are there, Pacifica, so open the bloody door."
"Oh, open it, Pacifica!" pleaded Mrs. Copperfield, jumping up from the bed. "Nothing could be worse than this suspense."
"Don't be crazy. Maybe he is drunk enough and he will go away."
Mrs. Copperfield's eyes were glazed. She was becoming hysterical.
"No, no—I have always promised myself that I would open the door if someone was trying to break in. He will be less of an enemy then. The longer he stays out there, the angrier he will get. The first thing I will say to him when I open the door is: 'We are your friends,' and then perhaps he will be less angry."
"If you make me even more crazy than I am I don't know what to do," said Pacifica. "Now we just wait here and see if he goes away. We might move this bureau against the door. Will you help me move it against the door?"
"I can't push anything!" Mrs. Copperfield was so weak that she slid along the wall onto the floor.
"Have I got to break the God-damned door in?" the man was saying.
Mrs. Copperfield rose to her feet, staggered over to the door, and opened it.
The man who came in was hatchet-faced and very tall. He had obviously had a great deal to drink.
"Hello, Meyer," said Pacifica. "Can't you let me get some sleep?" She hesitated a minute, and as he did not answer her she said again: "I was trying to get some sleep."
"I was tight asleep," said Mrs. Copperfield. Her voice was higher than usual and her face was very bright, "I am sorry we did not hear you right away. We must have kept you waiting a long time."
"Nobody ever kept me waiting a long time," said Meyer, getting redder in the face. Pacifica's eyes were narrowing. She was beginning to lose her temper.
"Get out of my room," she said to Meyer.
In answer to this, Meyer fell
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