"Jack Finney - From Time to Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Finney Jack)

To the group, the younger man said, "This is Lawrence Braunstein,' and Braunstein said, "Larry. The
younger added, "Larry drove in from Drexel.

People near the chairman were standing or leaning across the table to shake hands with Braunstein, or
smiling and flicking hands in greeting from the other end of the table. They were liking him because he
responded so pleasantly, nodding, looking pleased to be here. He was incompletely bald, a thinning,
straight stripe of brown hair from forehead to crown.
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Someone moved to another chair so that he could sit at the middle of the table, and when he was seated,
the chairman said, "Larry, a lot of us know your story from Carl here, though I understand you have an
addition to it tonight. But some of us haven't heard; would you mind telling it over again? From the top?

"Sure. Okay. And if you want to laugh, folks, go to it. I don't mind, I'm used to it.

"We won't laugh, the chairman said.

"Well. Braunstein slid down the zipper of his jacket and sat back, settling himself comfortably, one arm
lying relaxed on the tabletop, hand loosely clenched. "There's not that much to tell; it's just that I
remember Kennedy's second term. The group sat quiet and intent, some leaning forward to see him. "I
don't really remember a lot about it, tell you the truth. I vote. Sometimes. But I don't pay much attention
to the politicians. Never did; what's the use. They're all-well, you know well's I do. But I do remember
him running again. Watched a little of the convention. It was in Atlanta. Heard some of the campaign
speeches. Not much. A little of that goes a long ways, you know?

Someone said, "Who'd he run against?

"Dirksen-isn't that a shout? I remember the commentators, remember Cronkite, saying the Republicans
only ran Dirksen because they knew he didn't have a chance against Kennedy. And they were sure right.
Kennedy won forty-nine states and was close in the other; Illinois, or something. And that's about it. I
watched Dirksen concede less than an hour after the polls closed in California. And I remember
Kennedy headquarters then, the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, him there at the microphones smiling,
everybody yelling, then him lifting his arms, thanking his people, and-you know; all that stuff. Jackie was
there, and I think his mother. Don't remember about Bobby or Edward.

They sat silent for a moment. Then one of the men said, "I know you've already answered this, but do
you also remember-

"That he never had a second term? Sure. Carl asked me that first thing, and sure I remember, just like
everyone. He was shot. In Dallas. In . . . 1963? Then they shot Oswald. He shrugged, apologizing. "I
know it don't make sense, hut-I got both memories; what can I tell you?

"Do you remember where you were when he was shot?

The chairman said, "Okay. And tonight you've got something more?