Уловка 22

The Chaplain

           Hewastormentedinexorablybymorbidfantasiesinvolvingthem,bydire,hideousomensofillnessandaccident.HismeditationswerepollutedwiththreatsofdreaddiseaseslikeEwing’stumorandleukemia;hesawhisinfantsondietwoorthreetimeseveryweekbecausehehadnevertaughthiswifehowtostoparterialbleeding;watched,intearful,paralyzedsilence,hiswholefamilyelectrocuted,oneaftertheother,atabaseboardsocketbecausehehadnevertoldherthatahumanbodywouldconductelectricity;allfourwentupinflamesalmosteverynightwhenthewaterheaterexplodedandsetthetwo-storywoodenhouseafire;inghastly,heartless,revoltingdetailhesawhispoordearwife’strimandfragilebodycrushedtoaviscouspulpagainstthebrickwallofamarketbuildingbyahalf-wineddrunkenautomobiledriverandwatchedhishystericalfive-year-olddaughterbeingledawayfromthegrislyscenebyakindlymiddle-agedgentlemanwithsnow-whitehairwhorapedandmurderedherrepeatedlyassoonashehaddrivenherofftoadesertedsandpit,whilehistwoyoungerchildrenstarvedtodeathslowlyinthehouseafterhiswife’smother,whohadbeenbaby-sitting,droppeddeadfromaheartattackwhennewsofhiswife’saccidentwasgiventoheroverthetelephone.Thechaplain’swifewasasweet,soothing,consideratewoman,andheyearnedtotouchthewarmfleshofherslenderarmagainandstrokehersmoothblackhair,tohearherintimate,comfortingvoice.Shewasamuchstrongerpersonthanhewas.

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