JOHN FOWLES

The Collector - fragments
 

WHEN she was home from her boarding-school I used to see her almost every day sometimes, because their house was right opposite the Town Hall Annexe. She and her younger sister used to go in and out a lot, often with young men, which of course I didn't like. When I had a free moment from the files and ledgers I stood by the window and used to look down over the road over the frosting and sometimes I'd see her. In the evening I marked it in my observations diary, at first with X, and then when I knew her name with M. I saw her several times outside too. I stood right behind her once in a queue at the public library down Crossfield Street.

Alina Bucurel

John Fowles
 

Cand venea acasa, de la internat, obisnuiam sa o vad in fiecare zi, deoarece casa lor era chiar pe partea opusa fata de anexa Primariei. Ea si sora ei mai mica obisnuiau sa intre si sa iasa foarte des de acolo, adesea cu baieti, ceea ce mie, bineinteles, nu imi placea. Cand aveam un moment de pauza de la dosare si registre, stateam langa fereastra si obisnuiam sa ma uit jos in strada si cateodata o vedeam. Seara, am notat-o in jurnalul meu de observatii, initial cu un X, iar mai apoi cand i-am aflat numele cu M. Am vazut-o si afara de cateva ori. O data, la o coada la biblioteca publica de pe strada Crossfield, am stat chiar in spatele ei.