Όταν είχε έρθει ο Ανδρέας τον Μάη στο Λονδίνο, πήγαμε σ'ένα πάρτυ. Κάπου βόρεια, δεν θυμάμαι, είχε πολύ κόσμο, παίζαν μουσική με κουμπιά, μινιμάλ μινιμάλ γλυφιτζουράκια. Ήπια πολλές μπύρες, ήταν ωραία, χορέψαμε. Σε κάποια φάση βρέθηκα στο δωμάτιο που κρατούσαν τα πανοφώρια, και πάνω στο ντιβάνι με το βουνό απ'τα μπουφάν (είχε κρύο ακόμη;), κάθισα να ξεθολώσω και δίπλα μου κάθισε μια γάτα. Δεν είχα ξαναπαίξει στην πραγματικότητα με γάτα και η γλώσσα της μου φάνηκε αφύσικα τραχιά. Ήταν φιλική, κι αδιάφορη, ευτυχώς.
Θυμήθηκα τη γλώσσα της γάτας σήμερα το πρωί, όπως έπιασα να διαβάζω το δεύτερο μέρος από τον Οδυσσέα του Τζόυς. Στο απόσπασμα, ο Λεοπόλδος Μπλουμ καθώς ετοιμάζει το πρωινό μιλάει με τη γάτα.
MR LEOPOLD BLOOM ATE WITH RELISH THE INNER ORGANS OF BEASTS and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liver slices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencod's roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine.
Kidneys were in his mind as he moved about the kitchen softly, righting her breakfast things on the humpy tray. Gelid light and air were in the kitchen but out of doors gentle summer morning everywhere. Made him feel a bit peckish.
The coals were reddening.
Another slice of bread and butter: three, four: right. She didn't like her plate full. Right. He turned from the tray, lifted the kettle off the hob and set it sideways on the fire. It sat there, dull and squat, its spout stuck out. Cup of tea soon. Good. Mouth dry. The cat walked stiffly round a leg of the table with tail on high.
-- Mkgnao!
-- O, there you are, Mr Bloom said, turning from the fire.
The cat mewed in answer and stalked again stiffly round a leg of the table, mewing. Just how she stalks over my writing-table. Prr. Scratch my head. Prr.
Mr Bloom watched curiously, kindly, the lithe black form. Clean to see: the gloss of her sleek hide, the white button under the butt of her tail, the green flashing eyes. He bent down to her, his hands on his knees.
-- Milk for the pussens, he said.
-- Mrkgnao! the cat cried.
They call them stupid. They understand what we say better than we understand them. She understands all she wants to. Vindictive too. Wonder what I look like to her. Height of a tower? No, she can jump me.
-- Afraid of the chickens she is, he said mockingly. Afraid of the chookchooks. I never saw such a stupid pussens as the pussens.
Cruel. Her nature. Curious mice never squeal. Seem to like it.
-- Mrkrgnao! the cat said loudly.
She blinked up out of her avid shameclosing eyes, mewing plaintively and long, showing him her milkwhite teeth. He watched the dark eyeslits narrowing with greed till her eyes were green stones. Then he went to the dresser, took the jug Hanlon's milkman had just filled for him, poured warmbubbled milk on a saucer and set it slowly on the floor.
-- Gurrhr! she cried, running to lap.
He watched the bristles shining wirily in the weak light as she tipped three times and licked lightly. Wonder is it true if you clip them they can't mouse after. Why? They shine in the dark, perhaps, the tips. Or kind of feelers in the dark, perhaps.
He listened to her licking lap. Ham and eggs, no. No good eggs with this drouth. Want pure fresh water. Thursday: not a good day either for a mutton kidney at Buckley's. Fried with butter, a shake of pepper. Better a pork kidney at Dlugacz's. While the kettle is boiling. She lapped slower, then licking the saucer clean. Why are their tongues so rough? To lap better, all porous holes. Nothing she can eat? He glanced round him. No.
Η γάτα από κείνο το βράδυ.
