Garts!



                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