A Death in the Family - James Agee [65]
But by now they were really worn out with laughter; moreover, images of the dead body beside the capsized automobile began to dart in their minds, and then to become cold, immense, and immovable; and they began fully to realize, as well, how shamefully they had treated the deaf woman.
“Oh, Mama,” Andrew and Mary cried out together, and Mary embraced her and Andrew kissed her on the forehead and on the mouth. “It was awful of us,” he said. “You’ve just got to try to forgive us. We’re all just a little bit hysterical, that’s all.”
“Better tell her, Andrew,” his father said.
“Yes, poor thing,” Hannah said; and he tried as gently as he could to explain it to her, and that they weren’t really laughing at her expense, or even really at the joke, such as it was, because it wasn’t really very funny, he must admit, but it had simply been a Godsend to have something to laugh about.
“I see,” she said (“I see, said the blindman,” Andrew said), and gave her polite, tinkling, baffled little laugh. “But of course it wasn’t the—question of spirits that I meant. I just felt that perhaps for poor dear Mary’s sake we’d better ...”
“Of course,” Andrew shouted. “We understand, Mama. But Mary’d rather hear now. She’d already said so.”
“Yes, Mama,” Mary screamed, leaning across towards her “good” ear.
“Well in that case,” Catherine said primly, “I think it would have been kind so to inform me.”
“I’m awfully sorry, Mama,” Andrew said. “We should have. We really would have. In about another minute.”
“Well,” Catherine said; “no matter.”
“Really we would, Mama,” Mary said.
“Very well,” Catherine said. “It was just a misfortune, that’s all. I know I make it—very difficult, I try not to.”
“Oh, Mama, no.”
“No. I’m not hurt. I just suggest that you ignore me now, for everybody’s convenience. Joel will tell me, later.”
“She means it,” Joel said. “She’s not hurt any more.”
“I know she does,” Andrew said. “That’s why I’m Goddamned if I’ll leave her out. Honestly, Mama,” he told her, “just let me tell you. Then we can all hear. Don’t you see?”
“Well, if you’re sure; of course I’d be most grateful. Thank you.” She bowed, smiled, and tilted her trumpet.
It required immediate speech. That trumpet’s like a pelican’s mouth, he thought. Toss in a fish. “I’m sorry, Mama,” he said. “I’ve got to try to collect my wits.”
“That’s perfectly all right,” his mother said.
What was I—oh. Doctor. Yes.
“I was telling you what the doctor said.”
Mary drank.
“Yes,” Catherine replied in her clear voice. “You were saying that it was only by merest chance, where the blow was struck, a chance in a million, that ...”
“Yes, Mama. It’s just unbelievable. But there it is.”
“Hyesss,” Hannah sighed.
Mary drank.
“It does—beat—all—hell,” Joel said. He thought of Thomas Hardy. There’s a man, he thought, who knows what it’s about. (And she asks God to forgive her!) He snorted.
“What is it, Papa?” Mary asked quietly.
“Nothing,” he said, “just the way things go. As flies to wanton boys. That’s all.”
“What do you mean?”
“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.”
“No,” Mary said; she shook her head. “No, Papa. It’s not that way.”
He felt within him a surge of boiling acid; he contained himself. If she tries to tell me it’s God’s inscrutable mercy, he said to himself, I’ll have to leave the room. “Ignore it, Poll,” he said. “None of us knows one damned thing about it. Myself least of all. So I’ll keep my trap shut.”
“But I can’t bear to have you even think such things, Papa.”
Andrew tightened his lips and looked away.
“Mary,” Hannah said.
“I’m afraid that’s something none of us can ask—or change,” her father said.
“Yes, Mary,” Hannah said.
“But I can assure you of this, Poll. I have very few thoughts indeed and none of ’em are worth your minding about.”
“Is there something perhaps I should be hearing?” Catherine asked.
They were silent a moment.