《苏州培训机构》word版.doc

Hisvoicewashuskywithemotionwhenhewhisperedtohiswife, Mykidbrother.Itmakesnosense.Thenhetooaddressedeveryone. LetsseeifIcandoit.Nowletsgettothisguy.AboutmybrotherHepausedtocomposehisthoughtssothathecouldspeaksensibly.HiswayoftalkingandthepleasantpitchofhisvoiceweresolikehisbrothersthatPhoebebegantocry,and,quickly,Nancytookherbythearm. Hislastfewyears,hesaid,gazingtowardthegrave, hehadhealthproblems,andtherewasalsolonelinessnolessaproblem.Wespokeonthephonewheneverwecould,thoughneartheendofhislifehecuthimselfofffrommeforreasonsthatwereneverclear.Fromthetimehewasinhighschoolhehadanirresistibleurgetopaint,andafterheretiredfromadvertising,wherehedmadeaconsiderablesuccessfirstasanartdirectorandthenwhenhewaspromotedtobeacreativedirectorafteralifeinadvertisinghepaintedpracticallyeverydayofeveryyearthatwaslefttohim.Wecansayofhimwhathasdoubtlessbeensaidbytheirlovedonesaboutnearlyeveryonewhoisburiedhere:heshouldhavelivedlonger.Heshouldhaveindeed.Here,afteramomentssilence,theresignedlookofgloomonhisfacegavewaytoasorrowfulsmile. WhenIstartedhighschoolandhadteampracticeintheafternoons,hetookovertheerrandsthatIusedtorunformyfatherafterschool.HelovedbeingonlynineyearsoldandcarryingthediamondsinanenvelopeinhisjacketpocketontothebustoNewark,wherethesetterandthesizerandthepolisherandthewatchrepairmanourfatherusedeachsatinacubbyholeofhisown,tuckedawayonFrelinghuysenAvenue.Thosetripsgavethatkidenormouspleasure.Ithinkwatchingtheseartisansdoingtheirlonelyworkinthosetightlittleplacesgavehimtheideaforusinghishandstomakeart.Ithinklookingatthefacetsofthediamondsthroughmyfathersjewelryloupeissomethingelsethatfosteredhisdesiretomakeart.AlaughsuddenlygottheupperhandwithHowie,alittleflurryofrelieffromhistask,andhesaid, Iwastheconventionalbrother.Inmediamondsfosteredadesiretomakemoney.Thenheresumedwherehedleftoff,lookingthroughthelargesunnywindowoftheirboyhoodyears. OurfathertookasmalladintheElizabethJournalonceamonth.Duringtheholidayseason,betweenThanksgivingandChristmas,hetooktheadonceaweek. Tradeinyouroldwatchforanewone.Alltheseoldwatchesthatheaccumulatedmostofthembeyondrepairweredumpedinadrawerinthebackofthestore.Mylittlebrothercouldsitthereforhours,spinningthehandsandlisteningtothewatchestick,iftheystilldid,andstudyingwhateachfaceandwhateachcaselookedlike.Thatswhatmadethatboytick.Ahundred,twohundredtrade-inwatches,theentiredrawerfulprobablyworthnomorethantenbucks,buttohisbuddingartistseye,thatbackroomwatchdrawerwasatreasurechest.Heusedtotakethemandwearthemhealwayshadawatchthatwasoutofthatdrawer.Oneoftheonesthatworked.Andtheoneshetriedtomakework,whoselooksheliked,hedfiddlearoundwithbuttonoavailgenerallyhedonlymakethemworse.Still,thatwasthebeginningofhisusinghishandstoperformmeticuloustasks.Myfatheralwayshadtwogirlsjustoutofhighschool,intheirlateteensorearlytwenties,helpinghimbehindthecounterinthestore.Nice,sweetElizabethgirls,well-mannered,clean-cutgirls,alwaysChristian,mainlyIrishCatholic,whosefathersandbrothersandunclesworkedforSingerSewingMachineorforthebiscuitcompanyordownattheport.HefiguredniceChristiangirlswouldmakethecustomersfeelmoreathome.Ifaskedto,thegirlswouldtryonthejewelryforthecustomers,modelitforthem,andifwewerelucky,thewomenwouldwindupbuying.Asmyfathertoldus,whenaprettyyoungwomanwearsapieceofjewelry,otherwomenthinkthatwhentheywearthepieceofjewelrytheylllooklikethattoo.Theguysoffthedocksattheportwhocameinlookingforengagementringsandweddingringsfortheirgirlfriendswouldsometimeshavethetemeritytotakethesalesgirlshandinordertoexaminethestoneupclose.Mybrotherlikedtobearoundthegirlstoo,andthatwaslongbeforehecouldevenbegintounderstandwhatitwashewasenjoyingsomuch.Hewouldhelpthegirlsemptythewindowandtheshowcasesattheendoftheday.Heddoanythingatalltohelpthem.Theydemptythewindowsandcasesofeverythingbutthecheapeststuff,andjustbeforeclosingtimethislittlekidwouldopenthebigsafeinthebackroomwiththecombinationmyfatherhadentrustedtohim.Iddoneallthesejobsbeforehim,includinggettingascloseasIcouldtothegirls,especiallytotwoblondsistersnamedHarrietandMay.OvertheyearstherewasHarriet,May,Annmarie,Jean,therewasMyra,Mary,Patty,therewasKathleenandCorine,andeveryoneofthemtookashinetothatkid.Corine,thegreatbeauty,wouldsitattheworkbenchinthebackroominearlyNovemberandsheandmykidbrotherwouldaddressthecataloguesthestoreprintedupandsenttoallthecustomersfortheholidaybuyingseason,whenmyfatherwasopensixnightsaweekandeverybodyworkedlikeadog.Ifyougavemybrotheraboxofenvelopes,hecouldcountthemfasterthananybodybecausehisfingersweresodexterousandbecausehecountedtheenvelopesbyfives.Idlookinand,sureenough,thatswhathedbedoingshowingoffwiththeenvelopesforCorine.Howthatboyloveddoingeverythingthatwentalongwithbeingthejewelersreliableson!Thatwasourfathersfavoriteaccolade reliable.OvertheyearsourfathersoldweddingringstoElizabethsIrishandGermansandSlovaksandItaliansandPoles,mostofthemyoungworking-classstiffs.Halfthetime,afterhedmadethesale,wedbeinvited,thewholefamily,tothewedding.Peoplelikedhimhehadasenseofhumorandhekepthispriceslowandheextendedcredittoeveryone,sowedgofirsttothechurch,thenontothenoisyfestivities.TherewastheDepression,therewasthewar,buttherewerealsotheweddings,therewereoursalesgirls,therewerethetripstoNewarkonthebuswithhundredsofdollarsworthofdiamondsstashedawayinenvelopesinthepocketsofourmackinaws.Ontheoutsideofeachenvelopeweretheinstructionsforthesetterorthesizerwrittenbyourfather.Therewasthefive-foot-highMosleysafeslottedforallthejewelrytraysthatwecarefullyputawayeverynightandremovedeverymorningandallofthisconstitutedthecoreofmybrotherslifeasagoodlittleboy.Howieseyesrestedonthecoffinagain. Andnowwhat?heasked. Ithinkthishadbetterbeallthereis.Goingonandon,rememberingstillmorebutwhynotremember?Whatsanothergallonoftearsbetweenfamilyandfriends?WhenourfatherdiedmybrotheraskedmeifImindedifhetookourfatherswatch.ItwasaHamilton,madeinLancaster,P-A,andaccordingtotheexpert,theboss,thebestwatchthiscountryeverproduced.Wheneverhesoldone,ourfatherneverfailedtoassurethecustomerthathedmadenomistake. See,Iwearonemyself.Avery,veryhighlyrespectedwatch,theHamilton.Tomymind,hedsay, thepremierAmerican-madewatch,barnone.Seventy-ninefifty,ifIremembercorrectly.Everythingforsaleinthosedayshadtoendinfifty.Hamiltonhadagreatreputation.Itwasaclassywatch,mydaddidlovehis,andwhenmybrothersaidhedliketoownit,Icouldnthavebeenhappier.Hecouldhavetakenthejewelersloupeandourfathersdiamondcarryingcase.Thatwasthewornoldleathercasethathewouldalwayscarrywithhiminhiscoatpocketwheneverhewenttodobusinessoutsidethestore:withthetweezersinit,andthetinyscrewdriversandthelittleringofsizersthatgaugethesizeofaroundstoneandthefoldedwhitepapersforholdingtheloosediamonds.Thebeautiful,cherishedlittlethingsheworkedwith,whichheheldinhishandsandnexttohisheart,yetwedecidedtoburytheloupeandthecaseandallitscontentsinhisgrave.Healwayskepttheloupeinonepocketandhiscigarettesintheother,sowestucktheloupeinsidehisshroud.Iremembermybrothersaying, Byallrightsweshouldputitinhiseye.Thatswhatgriefcandotoyou.Thatshowthrownwewere.Wedidntknowwhatelsetodo.Rightlyorwrongly,theredidntseemtousanythingbutthattodo.BecausetheywerenotjusthistheywerehimTofinishupabouttheHamilton,myfathersoldHamiltonwiththecrownthatyouwouldturntowinditeverymorningandthatyouwouldpulloutonitsstemtoturntomovethehandsexceptwhilehewasinswimming,mybrotherworeitdayandnight.Hetookitoffforgoodonlyforty-eighthoursago.Hehandedittothenursetolockawayforsafekeepingwhilehewashavingthesurgerythatkilledhim.Inthecaronthewaytothecemeterythismorning,mynieceNancyshowedmethatshedputanewnotchinthebandandnowitsshewhoswearingtheHamiltontotelltimeby.Thencamethesons,menintheirlatefortiesandlooking,withtheirglossyblackhairandtheireloquentdarkeyesandthesensualfullnessoftheirwide,identicalmouths,justliketheirfather(andliketheiruncle)attheirage.Handsom