第145节

    【】l,oogotoapublictelephoheattendanttookdoberoocallandlisteoeveryion.oftehereatall,andthephonekedup.

    eatfouroteaandbisihadbeenknotosyathizee,sho,orybejustsayheeetakeotionalstrain,ashisvoicealtogethersteady.

    eantteproposalie,hearriageisforyoungpeopleonlyperhapsishockedyouybluntproposal”

    “oh,no,notatall.ithinkitperfearry.andiurenyehoughiaratefultoyouandflatteredbyyourproposal,iaoundbyavoadetolatehusbandthatiains.ylife.”

    hiskindfayhandinhisandsaidreluustrespeainfaithfultoyourhusband.ihaveal.heyhandaftergivingitagentlesqueeze.

    theaontpassed.ihadnotcaused.hutolosefacebyaflatrefusal.thattheeseway.

    afterhisproposal,.huntiovisitfroitoti.heedhisoldpraeohathehadbeenrehabilitatedaoredtohisforrpositionasassistantnagerandefullprodu.

    “ire.thereissouedsuddenlytohaveshedtenyearsofhisage.

    in1980,tosaygoodbye.heeatohoughtallalongthatiyoldageinsnlandratherthalingdoadefalyinnativeuntry.

    tohavereaanattheageofsixtyoodinspiteofaoing.

    ihadunlockedthefrontdoorandboundingupthestairs.ilookedatthek.dadeinutesearly.

    “youareearlytoday,”isaidtohidoor.

    “ihavesothiotheroole.“iybegoingtobeijingioodistantfuture.”

    “indeed.haveyoubeenofferedajob”iaskedhi

    “.butiyhavea.

    “eaandapieceoftoast”iasked,asikneayshungry.

    “sotoastebackeatall.iherhehadeatenbreakfast,butididnotask.

    takingabookfroisbag,dadeasked,“doyouthinkudythistoday”

    thebookilypostsetiquette.“ostudythatthesofthisbookareofoaese.”

    “notuheatstationedabroad,”hesaid.

    “isee.isthatyourexgifthatsthecase,ngratulations”

    ayiarrivedandrightatertoday”sheaskedanxiously.“areyoustillsoreallover”

    “thankyou,ayiilotbetter.”

    she.dadeasked,“haveyoubeenill”

    “ianonabicydnearlyrunoverbyabus.ithoughtyouknewalready,”isaid.

    dadebehindeveryunpleasantthingthathappenstoyou”

    “no,idontthinkyouarebehiu.dadeedforthefirsttisinceihadkno.“butidothinkyouareinthekrustsyou.”

    “youdontuand.youthinkpeoplearefreeagents.theyarenot.andtheenandbadn.inanynotapiee.oftenithinkyouarekihananybodyihaveknoyoother.doyouthinkieooknockyoudohabicydhaveyourunoverbyabus”dadesaidthisinaoneofvoice.

    “goodnessyouhavegoifyoutold,thatsbad.itdo,,ifyourusted,”isaidsarally.

    dadeasked,“areyousureitjustanact”

    “thestreetpty.hedidnthavetohit.hoontghthavebeenial.”

    “thehinguldhavebeenanact,”dadeargued.

    “no,ihaveseenthesanbefore.theoldthenhadapofblackhairandabrightloredbilesaddle.”

    froadesexpression,ithoughthekneanoation,hesaid,“tleadvice”

    “fireay.

    “doyourealizetherearepeopleinpositionsofpoakethehinkyoudespisethethey.ptforthendjusttakeiteasysotis”

    “hoakeiteasy”iaskeddade.

    “don

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