دانلود رمان انگلیسی “نیمه جان‌ها”

Evelyn lets herself into their apartment, jamming the key in the stiff lock until the door scrapes across the floorboards with a low creak. A small stack of letters is clutched under her armpit. Every time Evelyn arrives home, the sight reminds her of an oversized cardboard box. Their apartment is like a warren; split-level, with one room leading to the next and to the next, like one long tunnel. Today, she peers up at the thin slit of window, barely big enough for a toddler to squeeze through, and watches the parade of feet passing by, the orange glow of a cigarette butt falling to the ground. ‘Can I watch TV, Mom?’ Jonathan asks, shrugging off his backpack while they’re still half in the entryway, half in the apartment. She looks down at him and wants to laugh. TV the second they step foot in the house. How American. Growing up, there was always work to be done, yam to be pounded, floors to be swept. For years, she and her sister took turns minding their mum’s shop after school. She’d hated it, but now it feels like whole lifetimes have passed. Jonathan’s large, expectant eyes stare up at her, his tongue mindlessly drifting into the gap where two front teeth used to sit. ‘Complete your homework first,’ she says and he nods, scurrying down the hallway. She shuts the door, puts on the chain and closes the latch. For good measure, she locks it from the inside, leaving the key dangling in the lock so it can’t be opened from the other side. Evelyn lets out a breath and gives it one firm tug – just to be certain.