shining_sun: переводы

→During the first few days after Sara s birth, I learned I had a two-у ear- old son at home, James, who had wavy blond hair and the bluest eyes Id ever seen. I saw him in a picture my mother brought. I figured it was my mother. She talked about what she went through when she gave birth to me. ‘You were the first; you were the hardest. I was in labor forever with you. We didn’t have all the fancy pain medicine you have now. I remember how much you tore me up and all the stitches I had. ”She didn’t really let me speak; all I needed to do was listen. After a while, I became annoyed by this woman who dressed in gaudy animal prints and always turned the conversation toward herself. Her husband, Martin, my father, was a big, grim, brooding man who stopped in briefly, asked how I was doing but didn’t wait for an answer. After watching my television for a few minutes, he left.

→the nurses strapping me down—-first my legs, then my arms. A memory triggered. ...I can’t move! Please don’t hurt me 11 struggled against the straps. I couldn \'t see the doctor past the drapes. He was poised over my belly, then I felt his surgeon s knife, and a fire seared into my belly.
I kicked with my legs and tried to scream, but no sound came. My mouth was sour and rancid, and my throat was filled with vomit. I gasped for breath. The doctor saw my legs move and barked something to the nurse. A mask was put over my face. Then I disappeared.

→“Oh, no, Sara is beautiful, ” I said. I was so muddled and scared, but I thought I should keep all this confusion secret. How could I ask this man, Who are you? They fd say I was crazy, I thought. I hoped I wasn’t. I was sure if they found out I couldn \'t remember anything, they d lock me away.
I began to recall images from before the birth—being pushed along a green corridor toward the elevator, the water pipes careening along the ceiling, and glancing at the talking, upside-down faces above me. I remember

→A man came in, tall and skinny, smelling of beer, with a goofy smile and a crew cut, and told me we d just had a baby girl. I smiled back at him. He must be the father, I thought, but I had no idea who he was.
‘Karen, we have our beautiful Sara, ” he said. ‘When are you coming home? ”
I didn \'t know where home was, or who else might be there.
‘You ll need to ask the doctors, ” I said, smiling weakly. ‘Sara is her
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namer
‘Sara, of course! "he said. “Did you change your mind? ”

→PROLOGUE
The nurse kept calling me Karen, so I thought that must be my name. I knew I was in the hospital, but I didn’t know why. I had bandages over my abdomen and my chest hurt when I breathed. I lay in the bed for a while—quiet, frightened, and feeling alone in a world I couldn’t explain. I was afraid Id lost my mind.
I was transferred to another room. I figured I must have given birth because of the bandages on my abdomen and all the mothers and newborns on the floor. A nurse came in and looked under the bandage. There was a six-inch scar, just above my pubic bone, that, with the stitches, looked like an angry smile.