The Apotheosis. Darrell Lee

Чтение книги онлайн.

      Amira rolled out of bed before the alarm clock the next day. She waited outside Ethan’s building in the crisp air as Boston started its workday, drinking coffee until the moving truck with three muscular men arrived. Amira rode with them and their dollies on the service elevator to the apartment. In less than two hours the furniture from Elona’s room, the guest room, a couch and the television from the living room were moved from their places to the back of the moving van and covered with blankets. The boxes were next, which took less than thirty minutes.

      When they arrived at the new apartment, the boxes were removed from the truck first and placed at one end of the living room. They occupied a quarter of the floor space, even though they were stacked three high. Amira directed the placement of each piece of furniture, including setting up a bed in each bedroom. It took half of the time to unload as it did to load. By lunchtime Amira stood alone in her very first apartment.

      She estimated she had five hours before her mother showed up with Elona. She sorted through the boxes stacked in the living room and moved out the boxes marked “Elona’s Room” and “Elona’s Bath.” She wanted Elona’s space to be totally prepared when she arrived. In two hours, the bed was made, the clothes hung in the closet, and her toys and books placed just like they had been at the old apartment.

      While she was in the kitchen sorting through the boxes labeled “Kitchen Stuff,” the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see her father standing behind her mother, who was holding Elona by the hand. Elona, her hair tamed by a ponytail, gave a nervous smile. She stood in her favorite purple dress and shoes, unconcerned that it clashed dramatically with her green coat.

      “Mommy!” Elona came to Amira.

      “There’s my baby.”

      She gave Elona a long hug and removed her jacket. Sharon stepped in and also gave Amira a hug. Amira could feel her mother’s eyes moving around the apartment.

      “She was dead set on the purple dress,” Sharon said.

      “I know, the coat for it was in a box here.” Amira noticed her father carrying a pizza box. “Oh, Daddy, thank you so much. I’m starving.” Amira took a long sniff over the box. “Cheese pizza, perfect!”

      She gave her father a hug too. Turning to her daughter, she saw Elona studying the large stack of boxes in the living room. “Would you like to see your room?”

      Elona nodded. Amira took her by the hand down the short hallway to the doorway on the right. Elona went into the room first. The lamps on each side of the bed were on and they gave the room a warm glow. Elona walked around, not saying anything, studying the room’s contents. Amira opened the door leading to the bathroom.

      “You even have your very own bathroom.”

      Elona looked through the doorway to see her toys already in the tub. She smiled and looked up at Amira.

      “I like it.”

      Amira bent over and placed her hands on each side of Elona’s face and gave her a big kiss on the forehead. “Good! Now let’s eat. I’m starving.”

      Amira found the box with the plates and got out four. In a different box were the glasses.

      “Sorry, I haven’t made it to the grocery store yet. All we have is water from the tap.” Amira pulled out three glasses and Elona’s spill-proof plastic cup with a picture of Tweety Bird on the side.

      Sharon pulled out a tablecloth from a box on the counter and spread it on the carpet where a table should be. “We’ll go this week and find you a dining table,” she said.

      “A cheap one,” Amira replied.

      Guy put the pizza box in the center of the tablecloth and let out a grunt as he sat on the floor. Elona giggled and plopped down beside him. “I hope the table is in place before I have to eat here again. My knees won’t like this too much.” He grinned and tousled his granddaughter’s hair.

      Elona clapped her hands. “I like eating on the floor, like the Japanese.”

      “That’s right, Elona,” Amira said, surprised. “The Japanese do sit on the floor. How did you know that?”

      “From a story the teacher read to us in school,” Elona said as she settled down onto her heels, like the pictures in the book the teacher had shown to the class.

      Amira sat beside her, copying Elona’s position. “I say we declare this evening Japanese evening СКАЧАТЬ