sk.petsematary-第50部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　Louis　nodded；　so　did　Norma's　younger　brother。
　　〃Take　it　easy　with　her；〃　Jud　said。　His　voice　had　roughened。　Then　he　turned　away　and　walked　slowly　up　the　aisle　with　his　head　down。
　　Louis　moved　to　the　back　left　corner　of　the　steel…gray　American　Eternal　coffin　Jud　had　chosen　for　his　wife。　He　laid　hold　of　his　runner　and　the　four　of　them　slowly　carried　Norma's　coffin　out　into　the　bright　still　cold　of　February　first。　Someone…the　church　custodian；　he　supposed…had　laid　down　a　good　bed　of　cinders　over　the　slippery　path　of　tamped　snow。　At　the　curb　a　Cadillac　hearse　idled　white　exhaust　into　the　winter　air。　The　funeral　director　and　his　husky　son　stood　beside　it；　watching　them；　ready　to　lend　a　hand　if　anyone　（her　brother；　perhaps）　should　slip　or　flag。
　　Jud　stood　beside　him　and　watched　as　they　slid　the　coffin　inside。　〃Goodbye；　Norma；〃　he　said　and　lit　a　cigarette。　〃I'll　see　you　in　a　while；　old　girl。〃
　　Louis　slipped　an　arm　around　Jud's　shoulders；　and　Norma's　brother　stood　close　by　on　his　other　side；　crowding　the　mortician　and　his　son　into　the　background。　The　burly　nephews　（or　second　cousins；　or　whatever　they　were）　had　already　done　a　fade；　the　simple　job　of　lifting　and　carrying　done。　They　had　grown　distant　from　this　part　of　the　family；　they　had　known　the　woman's　face　from　photographs　and　a　few　duty　visits　perhaps…long　afternoons　spent　in　the　parlor　eating　Norma's　cookies　and　drinking　Jud's　beer；　perhaps　not　really　minding　the　old　stories　of　times　they　had　not　lived　through　and　people　they　had　not　known；　but　aware　of　things　they　could　have　been　doing　all　the　same　（a　car　that　could　have　been　washed　and　Turtle…waxed；　a　league　bowling　practice；　maybe　just　sitting　around　the　TV　and　watching　a　boxing　match　with　some　friends）；　and　glad　to　be　away　when　the　duty　was　done。
　　Jud's　part　of　the　family　was　in　the　past　now；　as　far　as　they　were　concerned；　it　was　like　an　eroded　planetoid　drifting　away　from　the　main　mass；　dwindling；　little　more　than　a　speck。　The　past。　Pictures　in　an　album。　Old　stories　told　in　rooms　that　perhaps　seemed　too　hot　to　them…they　were　not　old；　there　was　no　arthritis　in　their　joints；　their　blood　had　not　thinned。　The　past　was　runners　to　be　gripped　and　hefted　and　later　let　go。　After　all；　if　the　human　body　was　an　envelope　to　hold　the　human　soul…God's　letters　to　the　universe…as　most　churches　taught；　then　the　American　Eternal　coffin　was　an　envelope　to　hold　the　human　body；　and　to　these　husky　young　cousins　or　nephews　or　whatever　they　were；　the　past　was　just　a　dead　letter　to　be　filed　away。
　　God　save　the　past；　Louis　thought　and　shivered　for　no　good　reason　other　than　that　the　day　would　e　when　he　would　be　every　bit　unfamiliar　to　his　own　blood…his　own　grandchildren　if　Ellie　or　Gage　produced　kids　and　he　lived　to　see　them。　The　focus　shifted。　Family　lines　degenerated。　Young　faces　looking　out　of　old　photographs。
　　God　save　the　past；　he　thought　again　and　tightened　his　grip　around　the　old　man's　shoulders。
　　The　ushers　put　the　flowers　into　the　back　of　the　hearse。　The　electric　rear　window　rose　and　thumped　home　in　its　socket。　Louis　went　back　to　where　his　daughter　was；　and　they　walked　to　the　station　wagon　together；　Louis　holding　Ellie's　arm　so　she　wouldn't　slip　in　her　good　shoes　with　the　leather　soles。　Car　engines　were　starting　up。
　　〃Why　are　they　putting　on　their　lights；　Daddy？〃　Ellie　asked　with　mild　wonder。　〃Why　are　they　putting　on　their　lights　in　the　middle　of　the　day？〃
　　〃They　do　it；〃　Louis　began　and　heard　the　thickness　in　his　own　voice；　〃to　honor　the　dead；　Ellie。〃　He　pulled　out　the　knob　that　turned　on　the　wagon's　headlights。　〃e　on。〃
　　They　were　going　home　at　last；　the　graveside　ceremony　over…　actually　it　was　held　at　the　small　Mount　Hope　Chapel；　no　grave　would　be　dug　for　Norma　until　spring…when　Ellie　suddenly　burst　into　tears。
　　Louis　glanced　at　her；　surprised　but　not　particularly　alarmed。　〃Ellie；　what　is　it？〃
　　〃No　more　cookies；〃　Ellie　sobbed。　〃She　made　the　best　oatmeal　cookies　I　ever　ate。　But　she　won't　make　them　anymore　because　she's　dead。　Daddy；　why　do　people　have　to　be　dead？〃
　　〃I　don't　really　know；〃　Louis　said。　〃To　make　room　for　all　the　new　people；　I　guess。　Little　people　like　you　and　your　brother　Gage。〃
　　〃I'm　never　going　to　get　married　or　do　sex　and　have　babies！〃　Ellie　declared；　crying　harder　than　ever。　〃Then　maybe　it'll　never　happen　to　me！　It's　awful！　It's　rn…rn…mean！〃
　　〃But　it's　an　end　to　suffering；〃　Louis　said　quietly。　〃And　as　a　doctor　I　see　a　lot　of　suffering。　One　of　the　reasons　I　wanted　the　job　at　the　university　was　because　I　got　sick　of　looking　at　it　day　in　and　day　out。　Young　people　quite　often　have　pain。　。　。　bad　pain；　even　but　that's　not　quite　the　same　as　suffering。〃
　　He　paused。
　　〃Believe　it　or　not；　honey；　when　people　get　very　old；　death　doesn't　always　look　so　bad　or　so　scary　as　it　seems　to　you。　And　you　have　years　and　years　and　years　ahead　of　you。〃
　　Ellie　cried；　and　then　she　sniffed；　and　then　she　stopped。　Before　they　got　home；　she　asked　if　she　could　play　the　radio。　Louis　said　yes；　and　she　found　Shakin'　Stevens　singing　〃This　Ole　House〃　on　WACZ。　Soon　she　was　singing　along。　When　they　got　home　she　went　to　her　mother　and　prattled　about　the　funeral；　to　Rachel's　credit；　she　listened　quietly；　sympathetically；　and　supportively　although　Louis　thought　she　looked　pale　and　thoughtful。
　　Then　Ellie　asked　her　if　she　knew　how　to　make　oatmeal　cookies；　and　Rachel　put　away　the　piece　of　knitting　she'd　been　doing　and　rose　at　once；　as　if　she　had　been　waiting　for　this　or　something　like　it。　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Want　to　make　a　batch？〃
　　〃Yay！〃　Ellie　shouted。　〃Can　we　really；　Mom？〃
　　〃We　can　if　your　father　will　watch　Gage　for　an　hour。〃
　　〃I'll　watch　him；〃　Louis　said。　〃With　pleasure。〃
　　Louis　spent　the　evening　reading　and　making　notes　on　a　long　article　in　The　Duquesne　Medical　Digest；　the　old　controversy　concerning　dissolving　sutures　had　begun　again。　In　the　small　world　of　those　relatively　few　humans　on　earth　concerned　with　stitching　minor　wounds；　it　appeared　to　be　as　endless　as　that　old　psychological　squabbling　point；　nature　versus　nurture。
　　He　intended　writing　a　dissenting　letter　this　very　night；　proving　that　the　writer's　main　contentions　were　specious；　his　case　examples　self…serving；　his　research　almost　criminally　sloppy。　In　short；　Louis　was　looking　forward…with　high　good　humor…to　blowing　the　stupid　fuck　right　off　the　map。　He　was　hunting　around　in　the　study　bookcase　for　his　copy　of　Troutman's　Treatment　of　Wounds　when　Rachel　came　halfway　down　the　stairs。
　　〃ing　up；　Lou？〃
　　〃I'll　be　a　while。〃　He　glanced　up　at　her。　〃Everything　all　right？〃
　　〃They're　deep　asleep；　both　of　them。〃
　　Louis　looked　at　her　closely。　〃Them；　yeah。　You're　not。〃
　　〃I'm　fine。　Been　reading。〃
　　〃You're　okay？　Really？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　she　said　and　smiled。　〃I　love　you；　Louis。〃
　　〃Love　you　too；　babe。〃　He　glanced　at　the　bookcase；　and　there　was　Troutman；　right　where　he　had　been　all　along。　Louis　put　his　hand　on　the　textbook。
　　〃Church　brought　a　rat　into　the　house　while　you　and　Ellie　were　gone；〃　she　said　and　tried　to　smile。　〃Yuck；　what　a　mess。〃
　　〃Jeez；　Rachel；　I'm　sorry。〃　He　hoped　he　did　not　sound　as　guilty　as；　at　that　moment；　he　felt。　〃It　was　bad？〃
　　Rachel　sat　down　on　the　stairs。　In　her　pink　flannel　nightgown；　her　face　cleaned　of　makeup　and　her　forehead　shining；　her　hair　tied　back　into　a　short　ponytail　with　a　rubber　band；　she　looked　like　a　child。　〃I　took　care　of　it；〃　she　said；　〃but　do　you　know；　I　had　to　beat　that　dumb　cat　out　the　door　with　the　vacuum　cleaner　attachment　before　it　would　stop　guarding　the　。　。　。　the　corpse？　It　growled　at　me。　Church　never　growled　at　me　before　in　his　life。　He　seems　different　lately。　Do　you　think　he　might　have　distemper　or　something；　Louis？〃
　　〃No；〃　Louis　said　slowly；　〃but　I'll　take　him　to　the　vet；　if　you　want。〃
　　〃I　guess　it's　all　right；〃　she　said　and　then　looked　at　him　nakedly。　〃But　would　you　e　up？　I　just　。　。　。　I　know　you're　working；　but。。　。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　getting　up　as　though　it　were　nothing　important　at　all。　And；　really；　it　wasn't…except　he　knew　that　now　the　letter　would　never　be　written　because　the　parade　has　a　way　of　moving　on；　and　tomorrow　would　bring　something　new。　But　he　had　bought　that　rat；　hadn't　he？　The　rat　that　Church　had　brought　in；　surely　clawed