佚名/Anonymous
TheyweregoingtoFlorida——threeboysandthreegirls——andwhentheyboardedthebus,theywerecarryingsandwichesandwineinpaperbags,dreamingofgoldenbeachesandseatidesasthegraycoldofNewYorkvanishedbehindthem.
AsthebuspassedthroughNewJersey,,dressedinaplain,ill-fittingsuit,nevermoving,,frozenintosomepersonalcocoonofsilence.
Deepintothenight,outsideWashington,thebuspulledintoaHowardJohnsons,,andtheyoungpeoplebegantowonderabouthim,tryingtoimaginehislife:perhapshewasaseacaptain,arunawayformhiswife,,oneofthegirlssatbesidehimandintroducedherself.
“WeregoingtoFlorida,”shesaidbrightly,“Ihearitsbeautiful.”
“Itis.”hesaidquietly,asifrememberingsomethinghehadtriedtoforget.
“Wantsomewine?”,shewentbacktotheothers,andVingonoddedinsleep.
Inthemorning,theyawokeoutsideanotherHowardJohnsons,,,thegirlsatwithVingoagain,andafterawhile,slowlyandpainfully,,andnowhewasgoinghome.
“Areyoumarried?”
“Idontknow.”
“Youdontknow?”shesaid.
“Well,whenIwasinthecanIwrotetomywife,”hesaid,“ItoldherthatIwasgoingtobeawayalongtime,andthatifshecouldn’tstandit,ifthekidskeptaskingquestions,ifithurttoomuch,well,shecouldjustforgetme.I’,Isaid-she’sawonderfulwoman,’.”
“Andyouregoinghomenow,notknowing?”
“Yeah,”hesaidshyly,“Well,lastweek,whenIwassuretheparolewascomingthrough,,justbeforeJacksonville,andThere’’dtakemeback,sheshouldputayellowhandkerchiefonthetree,andI’’twantme,forgetit-nohandkerchiefandIdgoonthrough.”
“Wow,”thegirlsaid,“Wow.”
