Chapter 25 25 oysters

I can recall all the details of a past event without having to strain my memory.It was a rainy autumn evening, and I was standing with my father on a bustling Moscow street, and I felt a strange illness take hold of me.There was no pain at all, but my legs could not help but bend down, the words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat, and my head was tilted to one side weakly. Obviously, I would soon fall down and lose consciousness. If I were sent to the hospital at this time, the doctors would definitely write hunger on my medical card [Note: The original text is in Latin. ] This disease cannot be found in any medical textbooks.

My own dad was standing next to me on the sidewalk.He was wearing a very old summer overcoat with a wad of cotton peeping out of a fedora hat.On his feet were a pair of large and heavy rubber rain boots.The worldly man was afraid that others would see that he was wearing rain boots on his bare feet, so he put a pair of old leather boots on his calves. This poor, slightly befuddled eccentric, my love for him grew stronger and stronger as his well-made summer coat grew more and more worn and grimy.He came to the capital five months ago and wanted to seek a clerical position.For the past five months, he has been running around in the city, looking for things to do, until today he made up his mind to go begging on the street

Opposite us is a tall three-story building with a blue signboard: Hotel.My head was thrown back limply, sideways, and I couldn't help looking up, at the brightly lit windows of the hotel.A figure flickered in the window.The right half of a port organ could be seen, two crude tempera and hanging electric lamps. I stared at a window and saw a whitish mass.It was motionless, square in outline, and stood out against the dark brown surroundings.I squinted my eyes and recognized it was a white sign hanging on the wall.There are words on it, but I can't make out what the words are. For half an hour, I couldn't take my eyes off the sign.The whiteness caught my eye and seemed to hypnotize my brain.I tried to read the words on the sign, but my efforts were in vain.

Finally, the strange disease began to show its power. The rattling of the carriages sounded like thunder to me, I could distinguish a thousand odors among the stench of the street, and the hotel lights and street lamps seemed to me a blinding flash of lightning.All five of my senses are on high alert, hypersensitive.I started seeing things I never saw. Oysters I finally read the words on the sign. What a weird word!I have lived in this world for a full eight years and three months, how come I have never heard this word once?What does it mean?It can't be the surname of the innkeeper, but the surname sign is usually hung at the gate, not on the wall!

Dad, what are oysters?I struggled to turn my face to my father and asked hoarsely. Father did not hear.He is watching the flow of the crowd intently, watching everyone who passes by him. I can see from his eyes that he wants to say something to passers-by, but the words that are as heavy as a weight are always hanging on his shoulders. On the trembling lips, I couldn't spit it out.He even took a big step towards a pedestrian and touched his sleeve, but when the person turned his head, he hurriedly said sorry and backed away with embarrassment on his face. Dad, what are oysters?I ask again.

an animal that lives in the ocean I immediately imagined what this never-before-seen sea animal looked like.It should be something between a fish and a shrimp.Since it lives in the ocean, it can be used to make a very delicious hot soup with pepper and bay leaves, or a hot and sour soup with crispy bones, or a sauce like shrimp paste. Or add Jerusalem artichoke and make it frozen. I vividly imagine how people bring this animal back from the market, clean it up quickly, put it in the pot quickly, quickly, because everyone is very hungry!The smell of fried fish and shrimp soup wafted from the kitchen.

I feel the scent tickle my palate and nostrils, and gradually this feeling spreads all over my body. The hotel, my father, the white sign, my sleeves, all smell this scent.The aroma was so strong that it made me start chewing.I chewed and swallowed as if I had a real oyster in my mouth. I felt great satisfaction, but my legs bent involuntarily. I was afraid of falling, so I grabbed my father's sleeve and pressed my body tightly against his wet summer coat.Father tightened his body and trembled.he has chills Dad, are the oysters vegetarian or meat?I asked. This thing should be eaten raw, my father said, it has a shell, like a tortoise, but it has two shells.

All of a sudden, the delicious scent no longer made me itch, disillusioned and now I know it all! It's disgusting, I whisper, it's disgusting! Oysters turned out to be just that!I had always imagined it to be something like a frog, and now this frog was hiding in its shell, looking out with bright eyes, and constantly moving its ugly jaw.I imagined how people brought back from the market this shelled, clawed, shiny-eyed, slimy animal. All the children hid when they saw it, except the cook, who frowned in disgust and grabbed a Only the big claw, put it on a plate, and bring it to the table.Adults pick it up and eat it raw, including its eyes, teeth, and claws!But it squeaks and bites the lips

I frowned, but why did my teeth start to chew?The oyster was hideous, repulsive, and repulsive, but I ate it anyway, gobbling it up for fear of tasting it and smelling it.After eating one, I've seen the shiny eyes of the second and third I ate them all Finally I ate the napkin, the plate, my father's rubber rain boots, the white sign, everything was my eyes I eat everything I see, because I feel that only by eating can my illness get better.Those oysters, with their eyes open horribly, are so ugly that I shudder to think of them, but I will eat them anyway!eat! Give me oysters!Give me oysters!The cry burst from my chest, and I stretched out my hands forward.

Good day, gentlemen!Then I heard my father's low, suppressed voice, and I was ashamed to beg, but, my God, the boy couldn't take it! Give me oysters!I shouted, grabbing the back of my father's coat. Do you know how to eat oysters when you are young?I heard people around me laughing. Before us stood two gentlemen in bowler hats, laughing and looking into my face. You little one wants oysters?really?interesting!Do you know how to eat? I remember that at this time a strong hand dragged me into the brightly lit hotel.Soon a group of people surrounded me, laughing and looking at me curiously.I sat down at a table and began to eat something slippery, salty, damp and musty.I gobbled it up without chewing, looking, or trying to figure out what I was eating.I felt that if I opened my eyes, I would see a pair of shining eyes, pincers and sharp teeth.

I suddenly chewed something hard.Gaba bit it into pieces. Hahaha!He even ate the shells!People laughed, little fool, can this be eaten too? I remember being very thirsty afterward.I lay on my own bed, but I couldn't sleep because I had burning pain all over my body and a strange smell from my burning mouth.My father walked from corner to corner, waving and gesticulating. I seem to have a cold, he murmured, and I feel like there's someone inside my head, I'm afraid it's because I don't have that guy who hasn't eaten today I'm, really, kind of weird and confused I see those gentlemen paying for oysters Ten rubles, why don't I go over and ask them to borrow some money?Most likely they will. I didn't fall asleep until the next morning. I dreamed of a frog with pincers, a shell, and eyeballs that kept moving.At noon I woke up thirsty, opened my eyes and looked for my father: he was still walking around, waving his hands and gesticulating