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עמוד:44
Part 2 One afternoon as I wandered the aisles , a slim creamed-skinned 1 lady with rouge-circled cheeks motioned to me . As she crooked her finger , my first thought was to apologize for entering this secret world supposed to be for adults . Yet she didn't seem really threatening . Cautiously , I went toward the woman , noting the gray day through the window framing her pale hazel hair and the openness of her arms held still at either side of herself . She smelled of softness as she asked , "Would you like to have a booth for yourself ?" Magic ! The only thing I could say was , "I can't buy no music !" A soft smile spread as she slowly shook her head asking , "No ? Well , can you listen anyway ?" I jiggled an affirmative head . She said , "I ' m Mrs . Smith , and this is my store so you're welcome here anytime . " Feeling drained away from my body as she took the tips of my fingers to lead me to a listening booth . There were no words as she bent toward me , asking , "Is there something special you'd like to hear ?" 4 "No , Ma ' am , " staggered out ' , but Mrs . Smith , undaunted by my lacking , said , "Well , you wait here . I'll come back with something wonderful . " I wanted to run , but my legs weighed too heavy . An adult approached the booth , saying , "Oh , excuse me , " just as though I belonged . I slid to the floor , sitting down as I wrested" my folded spiral binder from my back pocket and my pencil from above my ear where writers always carried them . Mrs . Smith returned to my show of calm confidence and put on Peter and the Wolf . Story and music ! How could she have known ? Grownups usually didn't understand about such things . They often forgot their heart secrets . But the days that followed , where I could pick anything I wanted to listen to , proved me wrong . Billie Holiday sang sadness after I'd listen to tribal" music and wonder where my father was . Big Band sounds signaled tears of missing mother , but Scott Joplin had a Maple Leaf Rag that warmed . Beethoven got mad and made thunderous rain . Haydn knew the calm of a sunny Lake Washington . Mrs . Smith asked what I was writing as though it were really important and not merely' an adult being tolerant . She let me read her poem after poem without laughing or correcting the English or telling me not to dream . She'd say , "You keep doing that , " and patted my head . I'd leave the music store with the feeling of being cuddled" in sunlight , even in the 9 rain . It was really quite all right to be a crosseyed , funny Indian kid who secretly scribbled " poetry . Mrs . Smith said it was good . And all those different people of all those colors and looks on all those records knew it was too . crooked — bent . ji ggled an affirmative head — nodded my head to say "yes . " ' staggered out — came out of my mouth . 4 undaunted — not disturbed or bothered . ' wrested — took or pulled out . " tribal — belonging to a tribe ( e . g . Native American tribe ) . merely — only . " cuddled — hugged ; held closely . ' Indian — Native American . 10 scribbled — wrote quickly .
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