Поющие в терновнике

           ButwhenheleftthecookhouseMeggiewasn’tback,sotofillintimehestrolledthroughthegroundstowardthecreek.Howpeacefulthecemeterywas;thereweresixbronzeplaquesonthemausoleumwall,justastherehadbeenlasttime.Hemustseethathehimselfwasburiedhere;hemustremembertoinstructthem,whenhereturnedtoRome.Nearthemausoleumhenoticedtwonewgraves,oldTom,thegardenrouseabout,andthewifeofoneofthestockmen,whohadbeenonthepayrollsince1946.Mustbesomesortofrecord.Mrs.Smiththoughthewasstillwiththembecausehiswifelayhere.TheChinesecook’sancestralumbrellawasquitefadedfromalltheyearsoffiercesun,haddwindledfromitsoriginalimperialredthroughthevariousshadesherememberedtoitspresentwhitish-pink,almostashesofroses.Meggie,Meggie.Youwentbacktohimafterme,youborehimason.

           Itwasveryhot;alittlewindcame,stirredtheweepingwillowsalongthecreek,madethebellsontheChinesecook’sumbrellachimetheirmournfultinnytune:HeeSing,HeeSing,HeeSing.TankstandCharliehewasagoodbloke.Thathadfaded,too,waspracticallyindecipherable.Well,itwasfitting.GraveyardsoughttosinkbackintothebosomofMotherEarth,losetheirhumancargounderawashoftime,untilitallwasgoneandonlytheairremembered,sighing.Hedidn’twanttobeburiedinaVaticancrypt,amongmenlikehimself.Here,amongpeoplewhohadreallylived.

           Turning,hiseyescaughttheglaucousglanceofthemarbleangel.