tobealwaystogether,yetforeverapart?iknowtheanswernow.iknowwhatit'sliketobedayandnightnow;alwaystogether,foreverapart.
thereisbeautywherewesitthisafternoon,allieandi.thisisthepinnacleofmylife.thebirds,thegeese,floatonthecoolwater,whichreflectsbitsandpiecesoftheircoloursandmakesthemseemlargerthantheyreallyare.allietooistakeninbytheirwonder,andlittlebylittlewegettoknoweachotheragain.
"it'sgoodtotalktoyou.ifindthatimissit,evenwhenithasn'tbeenthatlong."iamsincereandsheknowsthis,butsheisstillwary.iamastranger.
"isthissomethingwedooften?"sheasks."dowesithereandwatchthebirdsalot?imean,doweknoweachotherwell?"
"yesandno.ithinkeveryonehassecrets,butwehavebeenacquaintedforyears."
shelookstoherhands,thenmine.shethinksaboutthisforamoment,herfaceatsuchananglethatshelooksyoungagain.wedonotwearourrings.again,thereisareasonforthis.sheasks:"wereyouevermarried?"
inod."yes."
"whatwasshelike?"
itellthetruth."shewasmydream.shemademewhoiam,andholdingherinmyarmswasmorenaturaltomethanmyownheartbeat.ithinkaboutherallthetime.evennow,wheni'msittinghere,ithinkabouther.therecouldneverhavebeenanother."
shetakesthisin.idon'tknowhowshefeelsaboutthis.finallyshespeakssoftly,hervoiceangelic,sensual.iwonderifsheknowsithinkthesethings."isshedead?"
"mywifeisaliveinmyheart.andshealwayswillbe,"ianswer.
"youstillloveher,don'tyou?"
"ofcourse.butilovemanythings.ilovetositherewithyou.ilovetowatchtheospreyswooptowardsthecreekandfinditsdinner.ilovetosharethebeautyofthisplacewithsomeoneicareabout."
sheisquietforamoment.shelooksawaysoican'tseeherface.ithasbeenherhabitforyears."whyareyoudoingthis?"nofear,justcuriosity.thisisgood.iknowwhatshemeans,butiaskanyway.
"what?"
"whyareyouspendingthedaywithme?"
ismile."i'mherebecausethisiswherei'msupposedtobe.it'snotcomplicated.bothyouandiareenjoyingourselves.don'tdismissmytimewithyou—it'snotwasted.it'swhatiwant.isithereandwetalkandithinktomyself,“whatcouldbebetterthanwhatiamdoingnow?"
shelooksmeintheeyes,andforamoment,justamoment,hereyestwinkle.aslightsmileformsonherlips."ilikebeingwithyou,butifgettingmeintriguediswhatyou'reafteryou'vesucceeded.iadmitienjoyyourcompany,butiknownothingaboutyou.idon'texpectyoutotellmeyourlifestory,butwhyareyousomysterious?"
"ireadoncethatwomenlovemysteriousstrangers."
"see,youhaven'treallyansweredthequestion.youhaven'tansweredmostofmyquestions.youdidn'teventellmehowthestoryendedthismorning."
ishrug.wesitquietlyforawhile.finallyiask:"isittruethatwomenlovemysteriousstrangers?"
shethinksaboutthisandlaughs.thensheanswersasiwould:"ithinksomewomendo."
"doyou?"
"nowdon'tgoputtingmeonthespot.idon'tknowyouwellenoughforthat."sheisteasingmeandienjoyit.
wesitandwatchtheworldaroundus.thishastakenusalifetimetolearn.itseemsonlytheoldareabletositnexttooneanotherandnotsayanythingandstillfeelcontent.theyoung,brashandimpatient,mustalwaysbreakthesilence.itisawaste,forsilenceispure.silenceisholy.itdrawspeopletogetherbecauseonlythosewhoarecomfortablewitheachothercansitwithoutspeaking.thisisthegreatparadox.
timepasses,andgraduallyourbreathingbeginstocoincide.deepbreaths,relaxedbreaths,andthereisamomentwhenshedozesoff,likethosecomfortablewithoneanotheroftendo.whenshewakes,amiracle:"doyouseethatbird?"shepointstoit,andistrainmyeyes.itisawondericanseeit,buticanbecausethesunisbright.
"caspianstern,"isaysoftly,andwedevoteourattentiontoitasitglidesoverbricescreek.and,likeanoldhabitrediscovered,whenilowermyarm,iputmyhandonherkneeandshedoesn'tmakememoveit.
sheisrightaboutmyevasiveness.ondayslikethese,whenonlyhermemoryisgone,iamvagueinmyanswersbecausei'vehurtmywifeunintentionallywithcarelessslipsofmytonguemanytimesthesepastfewyears,andiamdeterminednottoletithappenagain.soilimitmyselfandansweronlywhatisasked,tolimitthepain.therearedayssheneverlearnsofherchildrenorthatwearemarried.iamsorryforthis,butiwillnotchange.
doesthismakemedishonest?perhaps,butihaveseenhercrushedbythewaterfallofinformationthatisherlife.couldilookmyselfinthemirrorwithoutredeyesandquiveringjawandknowihaveforgottenallthatwasimportanttome?icouldnotandneithercanshe,forwhenthisodysseybegan,thatishowibegan.herlife,hermarriage,herchildren.herfriendsandherwork.
thedayswerehardonbothofus.iwasanencyclopedia,anobjectwithoutfeeling,ofthewhos,whatsandwheresinherlife,wheninrealityitisthewhys,thethingsididnotknowandcouldnotanswer,thatmakeitallworthwhile.shewouldstareatpicturesofforgottenoffspring,holdpaintbrushesthatinspirednothing,andreadlovelettersthatbroughtbacknojoy.shewouldweakenoverthehours,growingpaler,becomingbitteranden << 上一页 [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] ... 下一页 >>
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