"Dart, Iris Rainer - Beaches 01 - Beaches" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dart Iris Rainer)

Hollywood? Three summers you been making her stay up till two in the goddamned morning. Since she was a baby. I ought to report you to the child labor people."
"Mrs. Lewandowski," Jerry Grey said nervously, "this man, Mr. Melman, he asked for Cee Cee."
"Cee Cee, my ass. I know he liked my Karen. Handwalks she does. On a lighted staircase. She sings, too. 'Stairway to Paradise.' Been doing the act for that ungrateful son of a bitch, three years," she said, pointing to Grey. "Three shows on the weekend. Then Hollywood comes, and does he give my Karen a chance? Hell, no! Listen, Mr. Melman from Hollywood. What's the sense of just seeing one kid? You know what I mean? While you're in the neighborhood, see two kids."
No one had moved since Mrs. Lewandowski burst in. Melman adjusted his tie uncomfortably. Harry's mouth was open in surprise. Leona's breathing was loud enough for Bertie to hear several feet away.
"Well, I don't mind, Jerry. Do you?" Melman asked diplomatically.
Jerry Grey collected himself. "No. No, Joe. Please. I mean, it's nice of you. How about your lovely wife. Does she mind?"
The lovely wife just smiled.
No one asked Cee Cee if she minded.
"How long will it take Karen to get ready?" Grey asked.
"She's ready now," Mrs. Lewandowski said.
All heads turned toward the wings, and there, in a bright yellow sequined leotard, stood tiny Karen Lewandowski. Six. Next to her was a little staircase, which she leaned on expectantly.
"Hello, Karen," said Jerry, in a tone completely different from the one he used with Cee Cee. "Come on out, honey," he said.
"Hi, Mister Grey," Karen said in a sweet, baby-girl voice.
Bertie stared. Karen Lewandowski was the most beautiful child God ever made. Long blond braids, bangs that were perfectly even, big blue eyes, a perfect face, and a tiny athletic-looking body.
"Need any help, Karen?" Jerry asked.
"No, sir," she responded, and gently wheeled her little staircase onto the stage.
"Hello, Harry," Karen said, looking into the orchestra pit and waving warmly.
Harry melted. "Hi, Karen, precious," he said. "I have your song right on top."
"Thank you, Harry," Karen said. "And thank you, Mister Grey, for giving me the opportunity to present my act before your guests."
Bertie looked at Mrs. Lewandowski. She had sat down in the front row when Karen came onstage, and her eyes watched her daughter, knowingly.
"Clear the stage," yelled Jerry Grey. He was talking to Bertie, Leona, and Cee Cee.
Led by Cee Cee, they walked down the steps and sat in the front row. They were lined up now. Mrs. Lewandowski, Bertie, Leona, Cee Cee, Jerry Grey, Melman, and Irene.
Harry played a few bars of music and Karen walked around to the back of the staircase and turned a switch and the stairs lighted up. Then Karen walked to the top of the staircase and sat down. She put her sweet little face into one of her hands and cocked her head to the side.
I'll build a stairway to paradise, With a new step every day . . .
Bertie peeked out of the corner of her eye at Mrs. Lewandowski, who mouthed each word as her daughter sang.
When the song was finished, Karen jumped daintily to the stage floor and then, just as daintily, turned upside
down and stood on her hands. In this position, she began walking on her hands around the staircase. When she had circled once, she paused for a moment at the bottom of the steps and then, on her hands, walked up the steps. It was something to see.
Irene Melman applauded. The others sat quietly. When Karen reached the platform at the top of the staircase on her hands, Harry stopped playing. Slowly, Karen brought her feet over her head until she was standing and then she leaned forward onto her hands, lifting her feet over, and then turning over again and again on the platform, until her little body was making such rapid head-over-heels circles that Bertie was reminded of the story of Little Black Sambo. And as the yellow sequins flashed by, Bertie wondered if Karen would turn into a pool of butter. The music peaked and Karen stopped and stood for a moment at the top of the staircase, her face flushed, looking more beautiful than ever. She sang,
I'll build a stairway to paradise, With a new step . . .
She twirled around.
I said a new step . . . She twirled again.
That's right, a new step e-ve-ry day!
At that, Karen leaped into the air, her tiny legs spread, her toes pointed, and landed on the platform in a perfect split.
Mrs. Lewandowski applauded. Jerry Grey cheered; Melman and Irene rose to their feet, applauding. Cee Cee, Leona, and Bertie just sat there.
Karen smiled sweetly. "Thank you. Thank all of you,"
she said as she alighted from the staircase, turned off the switch, and pushed the staircase offstage. Mrs. Lewandowski ran up on the stage to help.
"Why don't you girls change clothes and come back," Jerry Grey said to the air.
Cee Cee got up and walked across the stage. Bertie and Leona followed.
In the dressing room, Cee Cee changed silently back into her plaid bathing suit. Leona ate the remainder of the sandwiches, and Bertie closed all of the make-up containers and put them neatly into the tool kit. Bertie wanted to tell Cee Cee how wonderful she had been, how she was the best one, and how Mrs. Lewandowski had had some nerve with that big mouth to come in there and push her way into Cee Cee's audition. But she was afraid to say it, in case maybe it would make Cee Cee feel bad instead of cheering her up.
Leona hung the red costume on the rack, and the three of them headed back toward the stage.
Mrs. Lewandowski and Karen were already there. Karen had changed into a white pique pinafore. They sat in the front row talking to Jerry, Melman, and Irene. Harry was gone. When they saw Cee Cee, they were quiet.
Cee Cee, Leona, and Bertie sat in the front row, too.
When they were seated, Joe Melman got up on the stage and walked back and forth as if he was in a play. Then he stopped and looked out at all of them. "Well, now," he said. "Well. This was certainly a lucky break for Joe Melman. Yes, it was. Indeed. Visiting here in Atlantic City with my wife, Irene, after a brief business trip to New York, and what do I find? Yep. What do I find? Well, now. After conducting a long and arduous search on the Coast for a child to star in a picture I'm casting, as luck would have it, I happen upon the Jerry Grey Kiddie Show. And . . . what a wonderful surprise I get when not one child in the show is a great little star . . . but two.
There are two of them. Well, needless to say, I said to myself, Joe, perhaps, now just perhaps, instead of there being just one little girl in the film, perhaps I could have them rewrite the film and have there be two. Two little girls.' After all, I mean, after all. Here are two wonderful, and I mean that-" Bertie saw him look right at Cee Cee-"both equally wonderful, uh . . . little actresses. Right?" Melman smiled.
"But then I thought about it and I said to myself, "Joe. Joe Melman. You have been a casting director for quite a few years, despite your tender age.' " Mr. Melman laughed at his own joke. Jerry Grey laughed. Irene Melman smiled. Cee Cee, Bertie, and Leona didn't react.
" 'And you know better than that. In spite of the fact that that's the way you would like to handle this, because they're both little stars, and they are both great little stars, that's just not the way it's done.' So I'm afraid that one of you is going to have to be disappointed." Bertie started to sweat. "And, Cee Cee, I'm afraid it will have to be you."
Without another word, as if on cue, everyone stood up. Karen stayed very close to her mother, holding on to her skirt. She didn't look at Cee Cee at all. Jerry Grey walked over and patted Cee Cee on the head, then walked back to Irene, Mrs. Lewandowski, and Karen. Joe Melman joined them, and they walked up the aisle and out of the theater.
Cee Cee sat down quietly in the center seat in the front row and stared at the stage. Bertie and Leona looked at her silently. The moment the back door of the theater closed, Cee Cee put her head in her hands. Then her tiny red curls began to shake and then to heave and then she let out a giant gasp and then another. When she lifted her head, her made-up face was covered with long, black tracks of mascara, and tears poured from her eyes.
Leona started to go to her, but stopped when Cee Cee emitted a piercing cry. "My life. My whole life. Oh, God. It's over," she sobbed.
"Gee," Leona cried out, "it ain't ovah. Ye'r a kid." Leona moved toward her.