comes out," Sarah Silverman said to the others, "she will take your breath away. It's too bad she's so shy because she has an
exquisite
look."
But suddenly they all heard noise from the dressing room. "No! Don't!" they heard Helen Margaret scream. Then they heard sobbing. "Don't! I don't want you to—Please! Stop! Don't! I can't—" The words were hard to understand because the voice was panic-stricken and hysterical, choking with sobs.
Then Helen Margaret, still dressed in the skirt and sweater she'd been wearing, ran from the dressing room. Her hands were covering her face. "You don't understand! I can't—" she gasped. She ran through the room, out the door, and disappeared.
Aunt Vera followed from the dressing room, holding the pale blue dress over her arm. "Where is she?" she asked. "I don't know what happened. She was standing there stiff as a board, and wouldn't undress, so I started to unbutton her sweater, just to help, and she seemed to go crazy. Look—she even scratched me." Aunt Vera held out her arm and showed them a long scratch with a few drops of blood oozing from it.
"She must have gone to the ladies' room," Uncle Charley said.
Aunt Vera and Sarah Silverman went to look. But in a moment they were back, with puzzled expressions. "She's gone," Aunt Vera said. "Her coat is gone."
"Well," Uncle Charley said after a moment's silence, "she'll probably be back. Her pocketbook's still right there by her chair. Is your arm all right, Vera?"
"Oh, yeah. It's just a scratch. Listen, kids, I think we'll just continue as if nothing happened. When she gets back, let's all be real supportive and friendly. I guess we shouldn't have insisted that she try on the clothes, but I thought it would cheer her up to see how pretty she could be."
"Anastasia," Sarah Silverman said, "we'll do you next. Vera told me that you're thinking about becoming a bookstore owner someday, and I have a terrific outfit in your size: businesslike and intellectual. Just what a successful bookstore owner should wear."
Anastasia stood up. She couldn't think of anything else to do. But the cheerful excitement was gone. Sarah Silverman talked about Anastasia's coloring and style, but there was a worried hush in the room.
Suddenly Robert Giannini stood up. "Listen, you guys," he said in a loud voice, "we can't just sit here doing
nothing.
Where does she live?"
"Somerville," Uncle Charley told him. "The address is on the list on the front desk."
"Well, I'm going to try to find her," Robert said. "The rest of you stay here in case she comes back or calls. I'll look out on the street, and if she's not there I'll go to her house."
Then Robert, too, was gone.
Anastasia Krupnik
My Chosen Career
One of the best things about being a bookstore owner is that nothing embarrassing would ever happen to you.
No one would scream and cry and run outside and make you all worried.
You don't have to change your clothes in front of other people.
No one would ever come into a bookstore and talk about stuff like chest hair.
12
The day seemed endless. Anastasia dutifully tried on the clothes that Sarah Silverman had selected for her; and she could see that they looked terrific, and that
she
looked terrific, and that everyone else thought so, too. But the atmosphere had changed.
After Anastasia, Henry's turn came. Anastasia sensed that Sarah Silverman had purposely saved Henry till last because she knew how sensational the transformation would be. And it was. Even with Robert and Helen Margaret gone, and with the disconcerting worry that their absence caused, it was exciting to watch Henry model the bright-colored high-fashion clothes that Sarah Silverman had provided for her.
Tall, thin, glowing, Henry moved with her panther's stealthy, sinuous walk across the shabby, linoleum-floored room, wearing a floor-length apricot silk gown. Her dark chin high, she posed for a moment with absolute self-confidence. Then she smiled. The audience fell silent. A moment
exquisite
look."
But suddenly they all heard noise from the dressing room. "No! Don't!" they heard Helen Margaret scream. Then they heard sobbing. "Don't! I don't want you to—Please! Stop! Don't! I can't—" The words were hard to understand because the voice was panic-stricken and hysterical, choking with sobs.
Then Helen Margaret, still dressed in the skirt and sweater she'd been wearing, ran from the dressing room. Her hands were covering her face. "You don't understand! I can't—" she gasped. She ran through the room, out the door, and disappeared.
Aunt Vera followed from the dressing room, holding the pale blue dress over her arm. "Where is she?" she asked. "I don't know what happened. She was standing there stiff as a board, and wouldn't undress, so I started to unbutton her sweater, just to help, and she seemed to go crazy. Look—she even scratched me." Aunt Vera held out her arm and showed them a long scratch with a few drops of blood oozing from it.
"She must have gone to the ladies' room," Uncle Charley said.
Aunt Vera and Sarah Silverman went to look. But in a moment they were back, with puzzled expressions. "She's gone," Aunt Vera said. "Her coat is gone."
"Well," Uncle Charley said after a moment's silence, "she'll probably be back. Her pocketbook's still right there by her chair. Is your arm all right, Vera?"
"Oh, yeah. It's just a scratch. Listen, kids, I think we'll just continue as if nothing happened. When she gets back, let's all be real supportive and friendly. I guess we shouldn't have insisted that she try on the clothes, but I thought it would cheer her up to see how pretty she could be."
"Anastasia," Sarah Silverman said, "we'll do you next. Vera told me that you're thinking about becoming a bookstore owner someday, and I have a terrific outfit in your size: businesslike and intellectual. Just what a successful bookstore owner should wear."
Anastasia stood up. She couldn't think of anything else to do. But the cheerful excitement was gone. Sarah Silverman talked about Anastasia's coloring and style, but there was a worried hush in the room.
Suddenly Robert Giannini stood up. "Listen, you guys," he said in a loud voice, "we can't just sit here doing
nothing.
Where does she live?"
"Somerville," Uncle Charley told him. "The address is on the list on the front desk."
"Well, I'm going to try to find her," Robert said. "The rest of you stay here in case she comes back or calls. I'll look out on the street, and if she's not there I'll go to her house."
Then Robert, too, was gone.
Anastasia Krupnik
My Chosen Career
One of the best things about being a bookstore owner is that nothing embarrassing would ever happen to you.
No one would scream and cry and run outside and make you all worried.
You don't have to change your clothes in front of other people.
No one would ever come into a bookstore and talk about stuff like chest hair.
12
The day seemed endless. Anastasia dutifully tried on the clothes that Sarah Silverman had selected for her; and she could see that they looked terrific, and that
she
looked terrific, and that everyone else thought so, too. But the atmosphere had changed.
After Anastasia, Henry's turn came. Anastasia sensed that Sarah Silverman had purposely saved Henry till last because she knew how sensational the transformation would be. And it was. Even with Robert and Helen Margaret gone, and with the disconcerting worry that their absence caused, it was exciting to watch Henry model the bright-colored high-fashion clothes that Sarah Silverman had provided for her.
Tall, thin, glowing, Henry moved with her panther's stealthy, sinuous walk across the shabby, linoleum-floored room, wearing a floor-length apricot silk gown. Her dark chin high, she posed for a moment with absolute self-confidence. Then she smiled. The audience fell silent. A moment
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