...nos pátios das casas são iguais em muitos lugares e gerações.
Na minha infância memória também houve brincadeiras-tarefas assim, com a mãe, a avó, os irmãos...
e abelhas enebriadas pelos odores de roupa lavada.
e abelhas enebriadas pelos odores de roupa lavada.
«
One day they were folding sheets, air-dried from the line. Suddenly, as if to herself, but loud enough for Martha to hear, her mother said, 'This is the only thing you need two people for.'
They carried on in silence. Stretch wide (arms not long enough yet, Martha), up, grip at the top, drop the left hand, catch without looking, stretch sideways, pull, over and again and catch, then pull, pull (harder, Martha), then cross to meet, up to Mummy's hands, down and pick up, one last pull, fold, hand it over, and wait for the next.
The only thing you needed two people for. When they pulled, there was something which ran through the sheet which wasn't just pulling the creases out of the sheet, it was more, something between the two of them. A strange sort of pulling, too: you pulled first as if wanting to get away from the other person, but the sheet held you, and then seemed to yank you back off your heels and towards one another. Was that always there?
»
One day they were folding sheets, air-dried from the line. Suddenly, as if to herself, but loud enough for Martha to hear, her mother said, 'This is the only thing you need two people for.'
They carried on in silence. Stretch wide (arms not long enough yet, Martha), up, grip at the top, drop the left hand, catch without looking, stretch sideways, pull, over and again and catch, then pull, pull (harder, Martha), then cross to meet, up to Mummy's hands, down and pick up, one last pull, fold, hand it over, and wait for the next.
The only thing you needed two people for. When they pulled, there was something which ran through the sheet which wasn't just pulling the creases out of the sheet, it was more, something between the two of them. A strange sort of pulling, too: you pulled first as if wanting to get away from the other person, but the sheet held you, and then seemed to yank you back off your heels and towards one another. Was that always there?
»
ENGLAND, ENGLAND por JULIAN BARNES - Edição Picador, 1999, p21
