|
"That's right," the mail clerk said hastily"He got it right on the beach, I was talking to Brown about it He looked at the tied bundle of envelopes, sighed, and stamped on them, "Addressee Killed in Action He was about to put the letters in one of the bags at his feet, when he noticed the return addressHe skimmed through the envelopes and discovered it was the same on all of them"Hey, look at this," he said to the assistant
The return address on the letters was "Mom and Dad, 12 Riverdale Avenue, Tacuchet, Indiana The assistant read it to himself, and thought for a moment of a rosy-cheeked man and woman with graying hair, the Mom and Pop of a gucci bags from china thousand billboard ads for soft drinks and mouthwashes and toothpastes"Gee, isn't that sad," he said
"Makes you think," the assistant said
After the midday meal, Gallagher was sitting in his tent when Croft called him"What is it?" Gallagher asked
"The chaplain wants to see you," Croft said
"What about?"
"I don't know," Croft shrugged"Why don't you go see him? We'll be gone when you get back, so you'll have perimeter guard for the afternoon
Gallagher walked through the bivouac and stopped at the chaplain's tentHis heart was beating quickly, and he was trying to suppress the hope he was feelingBefore they had landed on Anopopei, he had asked the dior replica handbags chaplain if he needed another assistant, and the chaplain had promised to consider himTo Gallagher it meant getting out of combat, and he had allowed himself to dream about the possibility several times
"Good afternoon, Father Leary," he said"I heard you wanted to see me His voice was polite and uncomfortable, and he was perspiring from the effort of having to watch his profanity
"Sit down, Gallagher Father Leary was a tall slim middle-aged man with light hair, and a caressing voice
"What is it, Father?"
"Go ahead and smoke, son Father Leary lit a cigarette for him"You get much mail from home, Gallagher?"
"My wife writes to me every day, almost, gold gucci watches FatherShe's gonna be having a baby any day now Father Leary was silent; he fingered his lip, and then sat down abruptlyHe put his hand on Gallagher's knee"Son, I have some pretty bad news for you
Gallagher felt a chill"What is it, Father?"
"You know, son, there're a lot of things which are difficult to understandYou just have to believe that it's right, and that there's a good reason for it, that God understands and sees and does what is best, even if we don't understand right away
Gallagher was ill at ease and then abruptly franticAll kinds of wild thoughts passed through his mindHe blurted out, "My wife didn't leave me, did she?" He felt chanel purse white shame as soon as he had spoken
"No, son, but there has been a death
"My mother?"
Father Leary shook his head
Gallagher thought his child had died in birthHe felt a quick passage of reliefThat ain't so bad, went through his mindFor an instant he wondered again dumbly if Father Leary had called him in to give him the job as chaplain's assistant
"No, son, I'm afraid it was your wife
The words passed through Gallagher numblyHe sat there without any response, without thinking of anything at allAn insect buzzed in through the folded flaps of the tent, and he watched it"Wha-a-a-at?" he asked
"Your wife died in childbirth, Gallagher Father Leary looked d |
| 