Джон Ирвинг – The Cider House Rules / Правила виноделов (страница 11)
“I have to tell you that I
“You won't?” Larch said. “You
Homer Wells and Dr Larch just stared at each other; the baby was between them.
“Not ever,” Homer Wells said.
“Do you disapprove?” Dr Larch asked Homer.
“I don't disapprove of you,” Homer Wells said. “I disapprove of
“Well, I've never forced you,” Dr Larch said. “And I never will. It's all your choice.”
“Right,” said Homer Wells.
“And if it's all the same to you,” Homer Wells said to him, “I'd like permission to not be there, when you do what you have to do. I want to be of use in any other way, and I'm not disapproving of you,” Homer said. “If it's okay, I just don't want to watch it.”
“I'll have to think about that, Homer,” Dr Larch said.
For the last three hours Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington had maintained an awkward silence. It had still been dark when they'd left the coast at Heart's Haven and went inland – away from the wind, although the wind was still surprisingly strong. Candy's honey-blond hair was all around her face.
Wally glanced at the unread book in Candy's lap. The book was
Wally, who was no reader, didn't notice the name of the book; he just watched the same page and thought about Candy. He was also thinking about St. Cloud's. He was already (in his mind) through the abortion; Candy was recovering nicely; the doctor was telling jokes; all the nurses were laughing. There were enough nurses to win a war, in Wally's imagination. All of them were young and pretty. And the orphans were amusing children.
In the trunk of Senior Worthington's Cadillac, Wally had three apple boxes full of sweets for the orphans. In the spring there weren't any fresh apples, and there wasn't any cider, but Wally had loaded the Cadillac with jars of jelly and honey.
Candy closed her book and returned it to her lap again, and Wally felt he had to say something.
“How's the book?” he said.
“I don't know,” Candy said, and laughed.
Soon they were in St. Cloud's.
“Please,” Wally whispered to her, “you don't have to do this. You can have the baby. I
But she said, “No, Wally. It's not the time for us to have a baby.” She put her face down.
The car stood still. “Are you sure?” Wally whispered to her. “You don't have to.” But Candy Kendall was more practical than Wally Worthington, and she had her father's stubbornness.
Mrs Grogan, across the road in the girls' division entrance, observed the Cadillac. There was a small crowd around the Cadillac. The trunk was open and the handsome young man was giving presents to the orphans.
“Sorry it's not the season for apples, kids,” Wally was saying. “Or cider. You could all use a little cider!” he said cheerfully, handing out the jars of honey and jelly. A boy named Smoky Fields had opened his jar of apple-cider jelly and was eating it out of the jar with his hand. “It's really good on toast, in the morning,” Wally said cautiously, but Smoky Fields stared at Wally in surprise. Smoky Fields intended to finish the jar of jelly on the spot. A girl called Mary Agnes dropped a jar of the apple jelly at Candy's feet.
“Oops,” Candy said, bending to pick up the jelly for her. When she stood up and handed the girl her jar of jelly, Candy felt a little dizzy. Some adults were coming out of the hospital entrance, and their presence helped Candy compose herself. “I've not come here to play with children,” she thought.
“I'm Doctor Larch,” the old man was saying to Wally, who looked shocked by the determination with which Smoky Fields was eating the jelly.
“Wally Worthington,” Wally said, shaking Dr Larch's hand, handing him a jar of honey. “It's fresh from Ocean View Orchards. That's in Heart's Rock, but we're very near the coast – we're in Heart's Haven, almost.”
“Hello,” Candy said to Homer because he was the tallest person; he was as tall as Wally. I'm Candy Kendall,” she said to him. “And do you work here? Or are you one of…” Was it polite to say
“Not exactly,” Homer mumbled, thinking: “I work here, inexactly, and I am inexactly one of them.”
“His name's Homer Wells,” a boy told Candy. “He's too old to adopt.”
“I can see that!” Candy said, feeling shy. “I should talk to the doctor,” she thought.
“I'm in the apple business,” Wally was saying to Dr Larch. “It's my father's business. Actually,” he added, “my mother's business.”
“What does this fool want?” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Oh, I love apples!” Nurse Edna said.
“You should have your own apples,” Wally said. “Look at that hill,” he said. “You ought to plant it. I could even get you the trees. In six or seven years, you'd have your own apples; you'd have apples for more than a hundred years.”
“What do I want with a hundred years of apples?” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Wouldn't that be pretty, Wilbur?” Nurse Edna asked.
“And you could get your own cider press,” Wally suggested. “Give the kids fresh apples and fresh cider – they'd have lots to do.”
“They don't need things to
“They're from some charity,” thought Nurse Angela cautiously.
“They're too young to give their money away,” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Bees!” Wally was saying. “You should keep bees, too. It's fascinating for the kids, and a lot safer than most people think. Have your own honey, and give the kids an education – bees are a model society, a lesson in teamwork!”
“Oh shut up, Wally,” Candy was thinking.
Dr Larch looked around at the children stuffing themselves with honey and jelly. “Have they come here to play with the orphans for a day and to make everyone sick?” – he wondered.
Candy felt helpless; no one understood why she was standing there. Then Homer Wells looked at her; their eyes met. Candy thought that he had seen her many times before, that he'd watched how she grew up, had seen her naked. It was shocking to Homer (he had already fallen in love with Candy) to see in her eyes an unwanted pregnancy.
“I think you'd be more comfortable inside,” he murmured to her.
“Yes, thank you,” Candy said, not able to look in his eyes now.
Larch saw the girl walking toward the hospital entrance and thought suddenly, “Oh, it's just another abortion, that's all.” He turned to follow the girl and Homer, just as Smoky Fields finished the jar of jelly and began to eat a jar of honey.
Homer led the way to Nurse Angela's office; at the threshold he saw the dead baby's hands reaching above the edge of the white tray, which was still on Nurse Angela's typewriter. Homer's reflexes were quick enough; he pushed Candy back into the hall. “This is Doctor Larch,” Homer said to Candy, introducing them on the way to the dispensary. Wilbur Larch did not remember that there was a dead baby on top of the typewriter in Nurse Angela's office.
“I'll deliver the woman from Damariscotta,” Homer said in a low voice to Dr Larch.
“Well, don't hurry,” Larch answered.
“I mean I won't help
Dr Larch looked at the young woman. He thought he understood, a little. She was a very pretty young woman, even Dr Larch could see that, and he'd not seen Homer so excited before. “Homer thinks he's in love,” thought Dr Larch. “Or he thinks that he'd like to be. Have I been very insensitive?” Larch wondered.
Wally introduced himself to Homer Wells. “If I could have just a moment's peace with Miss Kendall,” said Wilbur Larch, “we can all meet each other another time. Edna will assist me with Miss Kendall, please, and Angela – would you help Homer with the Damariscotta woman?
“You
“Please do it, then,” Dr Larch said. “If I could just have a moment alone with Miss Kendall,” he repeated, but he saw that Homer was unaware that he was staring at Candy. “If I could just explain a little of the process to Miss Kendall,” Wilbur Larch said to Wally (it was hopeless to address Homer). I'd like her to know about the bleeding, later – for example,” Larch added.
“Is someone going to
The two young men walked up and down and across the hill. Homer, politely, explained the procedure that Candy would undergo, but Wally wanted to talk about apple trees.
“This hill is perfect for your garden,” Wally said.