3-12

 

12.

I was excited to welcome Meg to my home, but also embarrassed: Nott Cott was no palace. NottCott was palace adjacent—that was the best you could say for it. I watched her as she walked upthe front path, through the white picket¹ fence. To my relief she made no sign of dismay², gave noindication of disillusionment.

Until she got inside. Then she said something about a frat house.

I glanced around. She wasn’t far off.

Union Jack³ in the corner. (The one I’d waved at the North Pole.) Old rifle on the TV stand. (Agift from Oman, after an official visit.) Xbox console⁴.

Just a place to keep my stuff, I explained, moving around some papers and clothes. I’m nothere much.

It was also constructed for smaller people, humans of a bygone era. Thus the rooms were tinyand the ceilings were doll’s house low. I gave her a quick tour, which took thirty seconds. Mindyour head!

I’d never noticed until then just how shabby the furniture was. Brown sofa, browner beanbagchair. Meg paused before the beanbag.

I know. I know.

Our dinner guests were my cousin Euge, her boyfriend Jack, and my mate Charlie. The salmonturned out perfectly⁵ and everyone complimented⁶ Meg on her culinary talents. They also devouredher stories. They wanted to hear all about Suits. And her travels. I was grateful for their interest,their warmth.

The wine was as good as the company, and there was plenty of it, and after dinner we movedinto the snug⁷, put on music and silly hats, and danced. I have a fuzzy memory, and a grainy videoon my phone, of Charlie and me rolling on the floor while Meg sat nearby laughing.

Then we got into the tequila.

I remember Euge hugging Meg, as if they were sisters. I remember Charlie giving me athumbs-up. I remember thinking: If meeting the rest of my family goes like this, we’re home free.

But then I noticed that Meg was feeling poorly. She complained of an upset stomach and lookedterribly pale.

I thought: Uh-oh, lightweight.

She took herself off to bed. After a nightcap I saw our guests out and tidied up a bit. I got intobed around midnight and crashed out, but I woke at two a.m. to hear her in the bathroom, beingsick, truly sick, not the drunken sick I’d imagined. Something else was going on.

Food poisoning.

She revealed that she’d had squid for lunch at a restaurant.

British calamari! Mystery solved.

From the floor she said softly: Please tell me you’re not having to hold back my hair while I’mvomiting.

Yes. I am.

I rubbed her back and eventually put her to bed. Weak, near tears, she said she’d imagined avery different end to Date Four.

Stop, I said. Taking care of each other? That’s the point.

That’s love, I thought, though I managed to keep the words inside.

 

1 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

2 dismay   

n.灰心，沮丧，惊愕；vt.使沮丧，使惊愕

参考例句：

• The enemy retreated in perfect dismay.敌人沮丧地退去。
• I am filled with dismay at the news.我对这个消息极为震惊。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 console   

n.控制台，仪表板，落地柜；vt.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• We tried to console her when her dog died.她的狗死后，我们尽力安慰她。
• The console is just like a typewriter.控制台就像一台打字机。

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 complimented   

v.表扬，恭维( compliment的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They complimented me on the way I looked each time they saw me. 每次见到我，他们都称赞我的外貌。 来自辞典例句
• He complimented her on her new dress without even looking at it. 他连看都没看一眼，就称颂她的新衣服。 来自辞典例句

7 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。