Garts, "What is it?" "Oh nothing. I mean, I was out walking. I mean, I
wanted to be alone to - to - see things." "Well you can see things
indoors. We won't hurt you."
If Jimmie was part of things and Her having accepted things was part
of things, then Her was part of Jimmie. Her argued logically, I am part of
things, people are kind if you don't just go against them and Jimmie is
like that. Her looked at Jimmie, recalled a house party, boys home from
college, some tangle of favours and a red Columbine costume she had once
worn. The Columbine costume was part of favours, was part of paper roses,
was part of things that were not. Jimmie had finished college. "I didn't
know you were here." "Well, I'm not. Not strictly speaking." He held the
branch back like a curtain. The curtain keeps me in here. Here I am safe
but I must walk out to people. People won't hurt you if you try to
understand them.
"People won't hurt you if you try to understand them." She had said
that tentatively stooping to the outer branches and Jimmie had caught it
up, repeated it, went on with it. "No. I had such a row with them. They
said the boy had cheated" "Cheated?" "Yes, It's this beastly idea people