earful I was going to destroy it。
I told her about the snapshot； how I’d carried it all through the war。
“It wouldn’t have worked out； you know。” she said。
“How can you be sure？” I countered。 “Ah； colleen； it might have been grand indeed—my Irish conscience and your Jewish guilt！”
Our laughter startled people at a nearby table。 During the time left to us； our glances were furtive； oblique。 I think that what we saw in each other repudiated what we’d once been to ourselves； we immortals。
Before I put her into a taxi； she turned to me。 “I just wanted to see you once more。 To tell you something。” Her eyes met mine。“I wanted to thank you for having loved me as you did。 ” We kissed； and she left。
From a store window my reflection stared back at me； an aging mall； with gray hair stirred by an evening breeze。 I decided to walk home。 Her kiss still burned on my lips。 I felt faint； and sat on a park bench。 All around me the grass and trees were shining in the surreal glow of sunset。 Something was being lifted out of me。 Something had been pleted； and the scene before me was so beautiful that I wanted to shout and dance and sing for joy。
That soon passed； as everything must； and presently I was able to stand and start for home。
。。
家
佚名
我與一位路過的陌生人相撞了。我趕忙說聲：“對不起！”他卻說：“我也很抱歉……我沒有注意到你。”我們彼此都彬彬有禮——陌生人和我。之後我們道別，各自上路。
但是，在家裡的情況卻完全不同。我們是怎樣對待自己的愛人、孩子和老人呢？之後，當我在廚房做飯時，我的女兒躡手躡腳地進來，靜悄悄地躲在我的背後。當我轉身時差點撞倒了她。“讓開！”我皺著眉頭咆哮。她怏怏地離開，帶著破碎的小小心靈。我沒有意識到自己說得多嚴厲。
那晚，我躺在床上，上帝輕聲地對我說：“與陌生人打交道，你沉著冷靜、彬彬有禮。但與親人相處，你卻很容易激動……現在，去看看廚房的地上，你會看到門邊的一些花。那些美麗的花朵是她帶紿你的。她親手採摘下來的——粉色的、黃色的，還有藍色的。她悄悄地站在那裡，是想給你一個驚喜。你都沒看到她眼中的淚水。”
到現在，我感覺自己很悲哀、很渺小，此刻，我的淚水開始奔湧。我悄悄地來到她的床前，跪在床邊：“醒醒，小甜心，醒一下，”我輕聲地喚著她，“那些花是你採給我的嗎？”自豪的笑容浮上她的嘴角，“我在外面的榆樹旁發現的。我用