JOHN FOWLES

The Collector - fragments
 

“…Well, then there was the bit in the local paper about the scholarship she’d won and how clever she was, and her name as beautiful as herself, Miranda. So, I knew she was up in London studying art. It really made a difference, the newspaper article. It seemed like we became more intimate, although, of course we still did not know each other in the ordinary way.
I can’t say what it was, the very first time I saw her, I knew she was the only one. Of course I’m not mad, I knew it was just a dream and it always would have been if it hadn’t been for the money. I used to have daydreams about her, I used to think of stories where I met her, did things she admired, marry her and all that. Nothing nasty, that was never until what I’ll explain later.”

Alexandra Tomsa

John Fowles
 

…Apoi a urmat frantura din ziarul local unde scria despre bursa pe care o castigase si despre cat de desteapta era si unde-i publicasera numele, Miranda, nume ce-i egala frumusetea. Atunci am aflat ca era plecata la Londra sa studieze arta. Acel articol chiar a contat. Parca devenisem mai intimi, desi in mod normal nu ne cunosteam, bineinteles.
Nu pot descrie exact, insa din primul moment in care am vazut-o am stiut ca ea era aleasa. Sigur ca nu sunt nebun, stiam ca era doar un vis si ar fi ramas asa daca nu ar fi fost banii la mijloc. Obisnuiam sa visez la ea cu ochii deschisi, sa inventez scenarii in care o intalneam, sa fac in gand lucruri pe care ea le admira, sa ma casatoresc cu ea si tot tacamul. Nimic indecent, pana cand nu s-a intamplat ceea ce va voi explica mai tarziu.