Tom glanced up from his book and said, “Good Lord, Honey. What are you doing here?”
“We’ll get to that later. First, I want to know how you are.”
“Not bad. Busy, a bit stressed out, but not bad. A lot has happened since I last saw you, My boss died, and it seems that I’ve inherited this store. I’m still trying to figure out what to do whit it.”
“I’m not talking about business. I’m talking about you. The inner workings of your heart.”
“My heart? It’s still beating. Seventy-two times a minute.”
“Which means you’re still alone, doesn’t it? If you’d fallen in love with someone, it would beat much faster than that.”
“Love? What are you talking about?”
“You haven´t met anyone in the past month, have you?”
“No. Of course not. I’ve been much too busy.”
“Do you remember Vermont?”
“How could I forget it?”
“And the last night you were there. Do you remember that?”
“Yes. I remember that night.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What do you see when you look at me, Tom?”
“I don’t know, Honey. I see you. Honey Chowder. A woman with an impossible name. An impossible woman with an impossible name.”
“Do you know what I see when I look at you, Tom?”
“I’m not sure I want to know.”
“I see a great man, that’s what I see. I see the finest person I’ve ever met.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, oh. And because that’s what I see when I look at you, I’ve chucked everything and come down to Brooklyn to be part of your life.”
“Chucked everything?”
“That’s right. The schooll year ended two days ago, and I gave them notice. I’m free as a bird.”
“But Honey, I’m not in love with you. I hardly even know you.”
“You will.”
“Will that?”
“First, you’ll get to know me. And then you’ll start to love me.”
“Just like that.”
“Yes. Just like that.” She paused for a moment and smiled.
[...] “You’re awfully damn sure of yourself, aren´t you?”
“I have to be, Tom. If I wasn’t sure of myself, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have all my bags waiting outside in the car. I wouldn’t know that you were the man of my life.”
“We’ll get to that later. First, I want to know how you are.”
“Not bad. Busy, a bit stressed out, but not bad. A lot has happened since I last saw you, My boss died, and it seems that I’ve inherited this store. I’m still trying to figure out what to do whit it.”
“I’m not talking about business. I’m talking about you. The inner workings of your heart.”
“My heart? It’s still beating. Seventy-two times a minute.”
“Which means you’re still alone, doesn’t it? If you’d fallen in love with someone, it would beat much faster than that.”
“Love? What are you talking about?”
“You haven´t met anyone in the past month, have you?”
“No. Of course not. I’ve been much too busy.”
“Do you remember Vermont?”
“How could I forget it?”
“And the last night you were there. Do you remember that?”
“Yes. I remember that night.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What do you see when you look at me, Tom?”
“I don’t know, Honey. I see you. Honey Chowder. A woman with an impossible name. An impossible woman with an impossible name.”
“Do you know what I see when I look at you, Tom?”
“I’m not sure I want to know.”
“I see a great man, that’s what I see. I see the finest person I’ve ever met.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, oh. And because that’s what I see when I look at you, I’ve chucked everything and come down to Brooklyn to be part of your life.”
“Chucked everything?”
“That’s right. The schooll year ended two days ago, and I gave them notice. I’m free as a bird.”
“But Honey, I’m not in love with you. I hardly even know you.”
“You will.”
“Will that?”
“First, you’ll get to know me. And then you’ll start to love me.”
“Just like that.”
“Yes. Just like that.” She paused for a moment and smiled.
[...] “You’re awfully damn sure of yourself, aren´t you?”
“I have to be, Tom. If I wasn’t sure of myself, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have all my bags waiting outside in the car. I wouldn’t know that you were the man of my life.”
The Brooklyn Follies
Paul Auster
