Над пропастью во ржи

           Thereasonhedidit,ittookmeawhiletofindout,wasbecausehewantedpeopletothinkmybagswerehis.Hereallydid.Hewasaveryfunnyguy,thatway.Hewasalwayssayingsnottythingsaboutthem,mysuitcases,forinstance.Hekeptsayingtheyweretoonewandbourgeois.Thatwashisfavoritegoddamword.Hereaditsomewhereorhearditsomewhere.EverythingIhadwasbourgeoisashell.Evenmyfountainpenwasbourgeois.Heborroweditoffmeallthetime,butitwasbourgeoisanyway.Weonlyroomedtogetherabouttwomonths.Thenwebothaskedtobemoved.Andthefunnythingwas,Isortofmissedhimafterwemoved,becausehehadahelluvagoodsenseofhumorandwehadalotoffunsometimes.Iwouldn’tbesurprisedifhemissedme,too.Atfirstheonlyusedtobekiddingwhenhecalledmystuffbourgeois,andIdidn’tgiveadamn—itwassortoffunny,infact.Then,afterawhile,youcouldtellhewasn’tkiddinganymore.Thethingis,it’sreallyhardtoberoommateswithpeopleifyoursuitcasesaremuchbetterthantheirs—ifyoursarereallygoodonesandtheirsaren’t.Youthinkifthey’reintelligentandall,theotherperson,andhaveagoodsenseofhumor,thattheydon’tgiveadamnwhosesuitcasesarebetter,buttheydo.Theyreallydo.It’soneofthereasonswhyIroomedwithastupidbastardlikeStradlater.Atleasthissuitcaseswereasgoodasmine.

           Anyway,thesetwonunsweresittingnexttome,andwesortofstruckupaconversation.TheonerightnexttomehadoneofthosestrawbasketsthatyouseenunsandSalvationArmybabescollectingdoughwitharoundChristmastime.Youseethemstandingoncorners,especiallyonFifthAvenue,infrontofthebigdepartmentstoresandall.Anyway,theonenexttomedroppedhersonthefloorandIreacheddownandpickeditupforher.