Breakfast at Tiffany's-13
As he returned to his duties with a satisfied waddle, I couldnt resist reminding herthat she hadnt answered his question. "Do you love him?"
She was still hugging the cat. "Poor slob," she said, tickling his head, "poor slobwithout a name. Its a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I havent anyright to give him one: hell have to wait until he belongs to somebody. We just sortof took up by the river one day, we dont belong to each other: hes an independent,and so am I. I dont want to own anything until I know Ive found the place whereme and things belong together. Im not quite sure where that is just yet. But I knowwhat its like." She smiled, and let the cat drop to the floor. "Its like Tiffanys," shesaid. "Not that I give a hoot about jewelry. Diamonds, yes. But its tacky to weardiamonds before youre forty; and even thats risky. They only l九九藏书网ook right on thereally old girls. Maria Ouspenskaya. Wrinkles and bones, white hair and diamonds: Icant wait. But thats not why Im mad about Tiffanys. Listen. You know those dayswhen youve got the mean reds?"
"All right. Angst. But what do you do about it?"
"Same as the blues?"
She shrugged. "After all, how do I know where Ill be living tomorrow? So I toldthem to put Traveling. Anyway, it was a waste of money, ordering those cards.
Obviously shed said what he wanted to hear; it appeared to both excite and relaxhim. Still he continued, as though it were a ritual: "Do you love me?"
"But that doesnt mean sweet and sour spareribs. You know what the doctor said."
She lifted an eyebrow. "By the way, Im not pretending I dont know hes rich.
"If it was so stinking, why does he cling to it?"
She patted him. "Tend to your chores99lib•ｎｅt, Rusty. And when Im ready, well go eatwherever you want."
"Quite often. Some people call it angst."
"Well, a drink helps."
"Thank God."
An occurrence at the door intervened. It was a young woman, and she enteredlike a wind-rush, a squall of scarves and jangling gold. "H-H-Holly," she said,wagging a finger as she advanced, "you miserable h-h-hoarder. Hogging all thesesimply r-r-riveting m-m-men!"
"Well, then break it up. Lets go."
You know what the doctor said."
"Use your head. Cant you see its just that Rusty feels safer in diapers than hewould in a skirt? Which is really the choice, only hes awfully touchy about it. He triedto stab me with a butter knife because I told him to grow up and face the issue,settle down and play house with a nice fatherly truck driver. Meantime, Ive got himon my hands; which is okay, 九九藏书hes harmless, he thinks girls are dolls, literally."
"Im hungry," he announced, and his voice, retarded as the rest of him, produced anunnerving brat-whine that seemed to blame Holly. "Its seven-thirty, and Im hungry.
Even land in Mexico costs something. Now," she said, motioning me forward, "letsget hold of O.J."
"Not funny. Just provocative."
Rusty Trawler came carrying a martini; he handed it over without looking at me.
"Chinatown?"
I held back while my mind worked to win a postponement. Then I remembered:"Why Traveling?"
"You dont love me," he complained, as though they were alone."Nobody loves naughtiness."
"Ive tried that. Ive tried aspirin, too. Rusty thinks I should smoke marijuana, andI did for a while, but it only makes me giggle. What Ive found does the most good isjust to get into a taxi and go t九九藏书o Tiffanys. It calms me down right away, thequietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there, notwith those kind men in their nice suits, and that lovely smell of silver and alligatorwallets. If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffanys, then Id buysome furniture and give the cat a name. Ive thought maybe after the war, Fred andI -- " She pushed up her dark glasses, and her eyes, the differing colors of them, thegrays and wisps of blue and green, had taken on a far-seeing sharpness. "I went toMexico once. Its wonderful country for raising horses. I saw one place near the sea.
She reached for my martini, I hadnt touched it; she drained it in two swallows, andtook my hand. "Quit stalling. Youre going to make friends with O.J."
"Well, if it were true of most men, Id hardly be thanking God."
"I want you to behave, Rusty
99lib•net
." She spoke softly, but there was a governess threatof punishment in her tone that caused an odd flush of pleasure, of gratitude, to pinkhis face."I told you: you can make yourself love anybody. Besides, he had a stinkingchildhood."
"Yes, Rusty. I know what the doctor said."
"On my card?" she said, disconcerted. "You think its funny?"
Freds good with horses."
"I meant thank God youre not going to marry Mr. Trawler."
"No," she said slowly. "No, the blues are because youre getting fat or maybe itsbeen raining too long. Youre sad, thats all. But the mean reds are horrible. Youreafraid and you sweat like hell, but you dont know what youre afraid of. Exceptsomething bad is going to happen, only you dont know what it is. Youve had thatfeeling?"
Except I felt I owed it to them to buy some little something. Theyre from Tiffanys."