Над пропастью во ржи

           Ingreenink. Hewrotethemonitsothathe’dhavesomethingtoreadwhenhewasinthefieldandnobodywasupatbat. He’sdeadnow. HegotleukemiaanddiedwhenwewereupinMaine,onJuly18,1946. You’dhavelikedhim. HewastwoyearsyoungerthanIwas,buthewasaboutfiftytimesasintelligent. Hewasterrificallyintelligent. Histeacherswerealwayswritingletterstomymother,tellingherwhatapleasureitwashavingaboylikeAllieintheirclass. Andtheyweren’tjustshootingthecrap. Theyreallymeantit. Butitwasn’tjustthathewasthemostintelligentmemberinthefamily. Hewasalsothenicest,inlotsofways. Henevergotmadatanybody. Peoplewithredhairaresupposedtogetmadveryeasily,butAllieneverdid,andhehadveryredhair. I’lltellyouwhatkindofredhairhehad. IstartedplayinggolfwhenIwasonlytenyearsold. Irememberonce,thesummerIwasaroundtwelve,teeingoffandall,andhavingahunchthatifIturnedaroundallofasudden,I’dseeAllie. SoIdid,andsureenough,hewassittingonhisbikeoutsidethefence—therewasthisfencethatwentallaroundthecourse—andhewassittingthere,aboutahundredandfiftyyardsbehindme,watchingmeteeoff. That’sthekindofredhairhehad. God,hewasanicekid,though. Heusedtolaughsohardatsomethinghethoughtofatthedinnertablethathejustaboutfelloffhischair. Iwasonlythirteen,andtheyweregoingtohavemepsychoanalyzedandall,becauseIbrokeallthewindowsinthegarage. Idon’tblamethem.Ireallydon’t. Isleptinthegaragethenighthedied,andIbrokeallthegoddamwindowswithmyfist,justforthehellofit. Ieventriedtobreakallthewindowsonthestationwagonwehadthatsummer,butmyhandwasalreadybrokenandeverythingbythattime,andIcouldn’tdoit. Itwasaverystupidthingtodo,I’lladmit,butIhardlydidn’tevenknowIwasdoingit,andyoudidn’tknowAllie.