Charlize Theron

Because the spelling was rather unusual, Henry saw it and asked, "How do you read this?"

The girl replied, "In English, it's Charlize Theron. It's Afrikaans, my mother tongue."

"So, you're South Africa?" Henry looked genuinely surprised. This wasn't an act; he was truly astonished to have encountered the South Africa diamond who was known as the "Hollywood Venus"!

"Yes." After signing her name, Charlize didn't return the sketchbook. Instead, with a curious look in her eyes, she asked, "May I look through it?"

There was nothing shady inside, Henry said generously, "Please, go ahead."

The future Oscars actress then flipped forward.

Henry had a habit of leaving a note, or at least the date, in the blank space after completing his sketches.

Annotations such as "Where was it drawn?"

He doesn't like using cursive script, but he doesn't use printed letters for everything either; anyway, it's not difficult for others to read.

This sketchbook isn't a dedicated art sketchbook; it's just a relatively large, thick notebook, about B5 size, without grid lines. It has a spiral spine, so you can flip the pages to the back of the notebook for easy drawing.

Most of them are pencil sketches, with occasional ballpoint pen sketches. The subjects are mainly Los Angeles street scenes, with fewer people.

I occasionally draw people, as part of the scenery. It just so happens that the person happened to be in the landscape I wanted to draw, and stayed there for a while, so they were included in the painting.

Time then keeps fast-forwarding, from May 1994 to January 1994.

Turning the page again, we return to December 1992, with the sketch taken in a courtyard in the Swiss town of Trochena. That was actually Audrey Hepburn's home; Henry simply didn't note it.

A simple snow scene in a courtyard, without people, but with Robert's five Jack Russell Terrier. Dogs aren't actually good subjects for sketching, so the five dogs were drawn from memory.

Similarly, there are only two or three sketches of the town of Tolochenaz. Let's flip back to September 1992.

In addition to simple scenery, there are also more portrait sketches in the moonlight.

There's only one character and one theme that remain constant; everything else changes. It's an old lady playing games with a group of children.

There are children from Africa, Central America, South America, South Asia, and West Asia. The different scenery, the children's different appearances and clothing all show the characteristics of different regions.

The elderly woman was so striking that Charlize couldn't easily ignore her. Furthermore, the woman's face looked increasingly familiar, and the annotations next to the sketch indicated locations from all over the world, reminding her of a Hollywood star.

Charlize laid out a sketch of a woman with a large face in front of Henry and asked, "Who is this?"

"Lady Audrey Hepburn," Henry answered truthfully.

"It really is her," Charlize exclaimed in surprise. "So this is a sketch of Ms. Hepburn during her United Nations activities. Did she go all over the world?"

Strictly speaking, it is a child protection agency established by United Nations Children's Fund to assist poor countries.

It is mainly concentrated in Africa, Central America, South America, and South Asia, not the whole world.

"So you're saying you were someone's assistant, and then your boss passed away, so you didn't continue working there. Like, you were Audrey Hepburn's assistant?"

"Yes."

"And what's your name?" Charlize Theron asked.

"Oh, haven't I introduced myself yet? Hello, I'm Henry Brown, a nobody."

"Huh!" Charlize Theron looked surprised and asked, "Is it Henry Brown, the author of ' Love from a Different Culture '? The book that Audrey Hepburn so highly recommended?"

"That book again." Henry touched his nose and said, "It's mine. But I must emphasize that it's a translation; I shouldn't be considered the author. Those are stories that have existed for a long time in different cultural contexts; they're not my creations."

"But—but—" Suddenly seeing a celebrity she had imagined, the young and inexperienced Charlize Theron stammered, unable to speak. In truth, she was somewhat skeptical.

However, there was a female pickpocket at their table, who already attracted the attention of the restaurant staff. She was sketching and chatting without trying to hide anything, so everything that happened and what she said was overheard by those who were paying attention.

When the book, which wasn't a bestseller, was mentioned, one of the waitresses immediately shouted excitedly.

The waitress who was the most proactive and almost caught the future movie queen even ran to the staff break room, pulled out a book, and excitedly walked to the table.

"Is it really Mr. Henry Brown?"

"Yes." Henry smiled when he saw the book in the other person's hand and said, "Oh, you bought this book? That surprises me. Do you want me to sign it?"

"Yes, yes, is that alright?" The waitress handed over the book, which wasn't thin. It wasn't a well-preserved book, but it hadn't been treated rudely; it was just something she read occasionally.

Henry took the pen, pulled it from his pocket, and asked, "What's your name?"

Lorin.

Henry then turned to the blank page under the cover and wrote in cursive script:

To Lorin, wishing you eternal health and beauty. -Henry Brown. "Thank you, thank you!" the waitress said excitedly, clutching the book. "Many of the love stories inside are so beautiful. It's a pity none of them have a happy ending."

Henry made a helpless expression and said, "That's the original story; I'm just translating it."

Several waitresses squeezed to the side, looking at the autographs on the book and shouting excitedly. They at least remembered this was a work setting, not a book signing, and only then, under the restaurant owner's watchful eye, did they return to their work.

Charlize Theron, with a somewhat skeptical look, asked, "Are you really Henry Brown?"

The author---translator of that book?

Henry said helplessly, "I can show you my driver's license. But if you want me to provide proof here, asking whether I really know Ms. Hepburn, or whether I translated that book, I can't produce that."

"I have photos of myself with Ms. Hepburn, but they're at home. I also have contracts with publishers, but those are also at home. I wouldn't carry these things around and show them to people all the time."

After thinking for a moment, Charlize asked again, "Judging from your expression, you're surprised you have book fans?"

Henry honestly replied, "I don't know what your opinion of that book is. But the publisher's feedback to me is that the book's sales aren't very good. However, it looks like it's a book that can sell for a long time."

"It's not one of those books that gets published for a week or two, then everyone rushes to buy it and then it dies out. Right now, we're just breaking even and covering printing costs. From now on, it'll be profitable, but we'll have to sell it slowly."