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Show 188 he finally said, "I guess not. Some people are just like that. With everyone." He waited in his silence for her to speak. But now she did not know what to say. She did know, however, that she would never look upon Oscar in quite the same way again. "As far as David goes," he said straightening up from the counter, "this is the kind of thing that kids go through, at about his age. And the worst thing that we can do is make something of it. Understand?" "Yes," she said, "I think so." But he had said that for his own benefit, not hers. "Good." He crushed the cigarette out in the can, tossing it into the garbage bag on his way into the frontroom. He walked-now that he thought he was unobserved-with slumped shoulders, as if he had suffered a defeat. But it was not a defeat. Not to her. What he had said about himself-that he felt he was a mystery to everyone-hadn't she herself felt that way at times? If he did, indeed, have his limitations-and most certainly he did-there was at least an awareness of them on his part. Wasn't that a beginning? A foundation upon which to build some kind of trust? Yes, for her it was. And he had handled this thing with David in the right manner. Not making more of it than he had. If Marty didn't say anything to Katie- god forbid!-it would blow over. David's face, the sick horror etched upon his white features, suddenly came to her-her heart wrenched for him. She wanted to run upstairs to him, to tell him that it was all right. |
