Вино из одуванчиков

           Thenalltheyhadtosaywas,"Iwantthatclock,"or"Howaboutthemattress?"AndJonaswouldhanditover,takenomoney,anddriveaway,consideringthewordsforanothertune.

           SoithappenedthatoftenhewastheonlymanaliveinallGreenTownatthreeinthemorningandoftenpeoplewithheadaches,seeinghimamblebywithhismoon-shimmeredhorse,wouldrunouttoseeifbychancehehadaspirin,whichhedid.Morethanoncehehaddeliveredbabiesatfourinthemorningandonlythenhadpeoplenoticedhowincrediblycleanhishandsandfingernailswere—thehandsofarichmanwhohadanotherlifesomewheretheycouldnotguess.Sometimeshewoulddrivepeopletoworkdowntown,orsometimes,whenmencouldnotsleep,goupontheirporchandbringcigarsandsitwiththemandsmokeandtalkuntildawn.

           Whoeverhewasorwhateverhewasandnomatterhowdifferentandcrazyheseemed,hewasnotcrazy.Ashehimselfhadoftenexplainedgently,hehadtiredofbusinessinChicagomanyyearsbeforeandlookedaroundforawaytospendtherestofhislife.Couldn’tstandchurches,thoughheappreciatedtheirideas,andhavingatendencytowardpreachinganddecantingknowledge,heboughtthehorseandwagonandsetouttospendtherestofhislifeseeingtoitthatonepartoftownhadachancetopickoverwhattheotherpartoftownhadcastoff.Helookeduponhimselfasakindofprocess,likeosmosis,thatmadevariouscultureswithinthecitylimitsavailableonetoanother.