"Lisa Goldstein - A Game of Cards" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goldstein Lisa)

both right and wrong for Keith to bring the wine.
At a signal from Mrs. Hobart, Rozal hurried through the dining room to the
kitchen for the appetizers. The kitchen was at least ten degrees hotter than the living
room: both ovens were on, and the cook had set a teakettle on the stove for tea.
Rozal nodded to the cook, who sat on a high stool near the stove and fanned herself
with a magazine, but the other woman seemed not to notice her. There was some
question of status between her and the cook that Rozal did not quite understand.
Rozal took the tray of appetizers out of the refrigerator and went back to the
living room. The party had already divided itself into groups: Mrs. Hobart was deep
in conversation with Steve, waving her cigarette smoke away from his face, and
Keith and Helen sat a little uncomfortably on the couch next to Carol. тАЬAnd what do
you do?тАЭ Keith asked. His face was too long, and his jaw and forehead protruded a
little.
тАЬKeith!тАЭ Helen said, and leaned to whisper something in his ear. Rozal offered
them an appetizer, trying not to look amused. She had seen Carol come up to the
house and talk to Mr. Hobart; money and small plastic bags were exchanged. тАЬI
thought she had something to do with video,тАЭ Keith said, unrepentant. Carol
laughed, and after a while Helen joined in.
Rozal returned to the kitchen for more appetizers. As she passed the wet bar
that divided the kitchen from the dining room, she heard a voice raised in anger, and
she glanced around quickly. In the three months she had been with the Hobarts, she
had learned that though they rarely became angry, it was best to pay attention when
they did. But the shouting she heard was not directed at her. Mr. Hobart sat at the
bar, speaking to someone on the phone.
тАЬI just want to know where he is,тАЭ Mr. Hobart said. тАЬNo, he isnтАЩt hereтАФthatтАЩs
why I called you. Well, how the hell should I know where he is?тАЭ
 Rozal hurried back to the living room and began to pass around the
appetizers. тАЬThank you, Rozal,тАЭ Mrs. Hobart said. The shouting from the bar grew
louder; surely everyone in the living room could hear it by now. Mrs. Hobart raised
her voice to cover it.
тАЬNo, she isnтАЩt Hispanic,тАЭ she said. She laughed a little, but Rozal could see
that she was getting worried. She glanced at her watch. тАЬWhy donтАЩt you ask her
yourself? Rozal, Steve wants to know where youтАЩre from. Do you understand?тАЭ
тАЬFrom Amaz,тАЭ Rozal said.
тАЬAmaz?тАЭ Steve asked. тАЬWhereтАЩs that?тАЭ
тАЬOh, you must have seen it on the news,тАЭ Mrs. Hobart said. тАЬThere was a
coup and then a countercoupтАФno oneтАЩs really sure whoтАЩs running the country now.
It was horrible. But Rozal managed to get outтАФshe was one of the lucky ones.тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ Rozal said. She had found a pack of cards somewhere on the long
terrible road to the United States, and they had told her what Mrs. Hobart was saying
now, that she would be fortunate, she would reach her destination. тАЬGreat
abundance,тАЭ the cards had said, and she had certainly come to the land of
abundance, a place where even the candy bars were encased in silver.
The doorbell rang, and she set down the tray of appetizers and went to answer
it. Peter Hobart, Mr. and Mrs. HobartтАЩs son, stood in the doorway. By the streetlight
behind him Rozal could see the rain she had sensed all day, coming down now in a
black sheet like a slab of stone. She looked for PeterтАЩs wife, but did not see her
anywhere.
тАЬJohn!тАЭ Mrs. Hobart called. тАЬJohn, heтАЩs here.тАЭ
Peter took off his leather jacket, revealing a ponytail that fell nearly to his