Над пропастью во ржи

           Onethingaboutpackingdepressedmealittle. Ihadtopackthesebrand-newiceskatesmymotherhadpracticallyjustsentmeacoupleofdaysbefore. Thatdepressedme.IcouldseemymothergoinginSpaulding’sandaskingthesalesmanamilliondopyquestions—andhereIwasgettingtheaxagain. Itmademefeelprettysad. Sheboughtmethewrongkindofskates—Iwantedracingskatesandsheboughthockey—butitmademesadanyway. Almosteverytimesomebodygivesmeapresent,itendsupmakingmesad. 

           AfterIgotallpacked,Isortofcountedmydough. Idon’trememberexactlyhowmuchIhad,butIwasprettyloaded. Mygrandmother’djustsentmeawadaboutaweekbefore. Ihavethisgrandmotherthat’squitelavishwithherdough. Shedoesn’thaveallhermarblesanymore—she’soldashell—andshekeepssendingmemoneyformybirthdayaboutfourtimesayear. Anyway,eventhoughIwasprettyloaded,IfiguredIcouldalwaysuseafewextrabucks.Youneverknow. SowhatIdidwas,IwentdownthehailandwokeupFrederickWoodruff,thisguyI’dlentmytypewriterto. Iaskedhimhowmuchhe’dgivemeforit. Hewasaprettywealthyguy. Hesaidhedidn’tknow. Hesaidhedidn’tmuchwanttobuyit. Finallyheboughtit,though. Itcostaboutninetybucks,andallheboughtitforwastwenty. HewassorebecauseI’dwokehimup. 

           WhenIwasallsettogo,whenIhadmybagsandall,Istoodforawhilenexttothestairsandtookalastlookdownthegoddamcorridor. Iwassortofcrying. Idon’tknowwhy. Iputmyredhuntinghaton,andturnedthepeakaroundtotheback,thewayIlikedit,andthenIyelledatthetopofmygoddamvoice, "Sleeptight,yamorons! "I’llbetIwokeupeverybastardonthewholefloor. ThenIgotthehellout. Somestupidguyhadthrownpeanutshellsalloverthestairs,andIdamnnearbrokemycrazyneck.