ThatwasrareleisuretimeforLaverheshortintervalbeforedinner．Shewastiredafterawholeday’sworkandwasreingontheloungechaironthedeck,gazingatsomecloudsfloatingaroundafar-offmountain．Mr.andMrs．Johnsontooweretired．Theyhadstruggledallday．Lifetothemwasaneruggle，whichwastotiiltheirsthour，likeamaeabouttobeunserviceable，butstillingonarduously．Humanlifewasbutananicmaeandonedaywouldiablybetotaled，too．Butsolongastheybreathed,theycouldstilllive;forbreathingwasthepurestifsimplestenjoymentofthefleshbody．Solongastheirbrainsfuned，theyhadreaso．Thoughtsmightbetheinofsorrow，buttheywerealsothesourceofthehighestformofhappihesetwohadstruggledalldayandwerelookingforwardtoadelieal,afterwhichtheywouldslipintothemysteriousdarknessandenjoythesweetnessofslumber．Butas,itwasonlytoawaittheingofthemorrow,anotherdayle．Meanwhile，Markwaslockedinhisroom．Perhapshewasstilltryingtopuzzleoutthatplicatedmathematicalproblem;orhemaybeilyresearghispreciousprizefromtheruins．Oneday，hewasboundtouandthedifferehesexesandthatmasturbationwasnottheonlywaytosatisfytheneedsofhisfleshbody．Mapleleaveswereturnihecrispautumnair，andfleecycloudssurroundingthehilltopsfloatedlightlytowardsher．Lavernewassuddenlystruckwithastrangeidea．Ifthecloudscouldbepluckedaseasilyasmapleleaves,shewouldseizethemastheypassedandmakethemsurroundherhouse．ShewouldpntmapletreesalroundsothatMr．andMrs．Johnson，Markandherselfwouldlivetheirwholelivesharmoniouslytogether，hiddenbycloudsandsurroundedbycolorfulleaves，forthisfragilefamilycouldnolohstandtheslingsandarrowsofeousfortune．
Hermindwasinaturmoisshethoughtofthepast．ShewouldneverfetthatstormywinterdaywhenMr．Johnsoncamehomeamidthewindandrain，breakierriblehatLaverne’smotherhaddied．Itainful，traumatie，etcheddeeplyinheryoungmemory，forwithinayear，shehadlostbothherparents：herfatherinacaractandher．ShecametolivewithMr.Johnsonwheherremarried；butthebrief，happyinterludehadnotstedtheyear．Shecouldstillrememberherhurt,fearandaywhenMr．JohnsonmarriedagainandhisnewwifeLavyrlbroughtMark，hersonfromherpreviousmarriagewithhertoliveintheJohnsonhome．Lavernewasrudeafultothetestadditionstoherfamily,butLavyrlwaswonderful．Thoughblind,shewasverysensitiveandwasallthemotherLavernecouldwishfor．Sheseemedtoualegirl’santagonismandgraduallywonherenuineloveandkiakingcareofherasshewouldherown．Herso-year-oldMark，wasstrongasanox．Hewasabitretarded,tobesure,butextremelyprotectiveofhislittlesister，andstoodupforheramidtheirpeers．Fromthenon，withMarkasherbodyguard，sheneverhadtofearbeingbulliedinschool．Thisnewfamily,broughttogetherbydifferentcircumstancesoflife,hadastrongtieinmisfortune．
Thatyear，duetomisma，Mr．Johnson’sfirmwentbankruptandhewasidoff．Unemploymentwasabigblowandontopofitall,Mr．Johnsontractedhepatitisandhadtobehospitalized．Hugemedicalbillspiledupandtheheavyburdenofsuppafamilyoffourfellontheceousshouldersofthisweak,blindwomaapermitasavendoriheCityHallBuildingsellingcigarettes,dy,coffeeetc．Shetookhertwochildrenwithher．Lavernewasonlyfivethen,butshehadtotakecareofherblindstep-motherandhermentallyretardedstep-brother．Theymaoexistontheirstyihroughthosedifficulttimes,butadversityuhefamilyhearttoheart．As，illfortuodogthefootstepsofthiskind,blindwoman．Onedayshewasknockeddownbyacarwhiletryingtocrossthestreet．Thoughdoctorsfoundnothingamissatfirst,asidefromsomecutsandbruises,gradualnumbnessinherlowerlimbsprovedthathernervoussystemhadbeenseriouslydamagedaogetaroundinawheelchair．Thenumbnessspreadaeilitpletelyincapacitatedherandshebecamea"speakingdeadbody"．Fatehadbeehiswomanandherhusband,wholovedherdearly．Aseriousstroketookawayhisabilitytowork．Acurseseemedtohoverovertheirhome,lookingforacetopounce．Siessahwerethemightiestcurseofall．AhthoughtLaverhisfamilyreallydoesneedashieldofcloudstoprotectitfromthecurseofthedevil!ItwasgettingdarkandMark’shugefigurecameuptoher，stoopeddownandpined，
"I’mhungryLaverne.”Hiswordswereindistinct,butthroughlongassociation,sheuoodperfectly．Shestartedupguiltily，
"OhMark，I’vebeendaydreamingandfotthetime.”Shekissedhischubby，infant-likecheeksandhuggedhimtohersaying，"Sorry，Markyboy．I’llgoandfryyoursteakrightaway．Wouldyouliketosetthetableandlightthedles?We’lldiyletonight!"Marknoddedvigorouslyahusiastically．Hisexcitedexcmationsreflectedhishappihoughshecouldn’tmakeouttheexactwords．Handinhand,thetwosiblingswalkedintotheoldhouse．
Inthequietafternoon，timetickedbynormally，hertoofastnortooslow，likewaterflowingtranquillybyintheriveroranairymelodyvibratingimosphere．Theblueskyhaddarkened，butafewstarswerealreadyvisible，twinklingfromonhigh．Ontheway,Dimitriiedeverygarbagesearchforaluminums,buthewasdisappointed．Intimesofrecession，evenrecycblegarbagehadbeescarce．Buthewasstillingoodspirits，hismusclesrexed，hertootense，nortoosck．Hewasamusedtofindthatquiteafewpeopleoreetsweredressedashewas—olivesafarihat，three-quartersdownjacket，oversizedbcktrousersandoldbckshoeswornwithoutsocks．HekracticaljokeSamanthayingonhimandhesmiledathersuavehumor．Perhapsthatwastobethetrendoffallfashionsoftheyear!Anotherfallseasonwasbeginnihought．Histwenty-fourbeautiesbatheKingdomwerethinkingofhimahem．Whatwashedoingherewanderingaboutalone，missingeachotherontwodifferentpnes?PerhapsitwastimehewentbadeheluxuryofhisKingdomandthepanionshipofhisbeauties．Thatwouldmakethemhappy，too．However,therewassomuchhereonthismundaneworldworthstayingfor．Inaspiritofbonhomie,hecalledoutcheery"Goodevening"and"Haveagoodoothepassersbyhurryingpasthim,butonlyafewbotheredtoforceasmileornodiurn．Theywerelikefishier,gringateachotherwithcold,indifferentstares，beforeswishiaindgoingontheirway．Eachseemedtobeswimmingpurposefullytowardshisowination，andactalentersdidnotleavemuchofanimpressioherone．Perhapstheyweretoobusyandoccupiedwiththeiraffairseventonoticetheywerealiveahing，toobusytoenjoyandrejoiceattheverymagicofexistence．Agroupofsmallchildrenpraalking,ughing,shoutinganimatedly,likefriskyshrimpsorlivelysmallfishfroligintheshallowwaters，jumpingandscootingaround．Oheygrewup，theytoowouldbeelonelyfish，reservedandimpersonal，swimmingaboutier，notunigwitheachotherthoughlivinginagroup．Dimitrithought，inthecurrentoftime，everyoneislikeafish，includinghimself．Hewasonlyafishthatlikedtolurkiers,immobileandhushed,whilelidedbusilyaroundatthetopofthewaterseekingsurvival．Theydidnothavethetimetothinkofthesignificeoflivingorthevalueofexistence．Ifoheywentdowntothedeepandremaihere,stilndmotioheywouldthensuddenlyuandthattheywereliving．
Immersedinthisthoughts，Dimitrisuddenlyfoundhimselfatabustlinginterse，wherecaraftercarfshedby,ionreagtheirdestinations,loathingtowasteevenonesedoftheirprecioustime．Whattheydidnotrealizewasthattheywereactuallysquanderingawaytheirlifebecausetheyweresacrifigtheirleisure．Finallyhecrossedthebusystreetandcametoaremoteerofthecity．
"Ishouldgobaydipidatedshelter,”hethought．"Ihaven’tbeenbacktothatnarrowalleyforquiteawhile．Thereireat,Iwouldbefarawayfromthehustleandbustleofthecity，uedbysunriseandsu．Sunshineandmoonlightwillbebutsuccessivealterationsoflightoutsidemydoor．ThereIfullysavorthetasteoflife，enioysomelovelydreamsandthepleasureofbreathing.”Thenhepassedaluxuriousofficebuilding,intheerofwhiyshadowysilhouettescouldbeseenmovingaround．Someseemedtobebaogethersinginginasilentchoir．Otherswereshakingtheirbodiestotherhythmoftime,dangiion．Allwentoninabsolutesilence,likeanoccasionalturbulentwhirlpoolinabodyofwater．Soontheywouldbegone，sweptbyittopartsunknown．Ifpeoplediedandtheirsoulstioliveon，theywouldbeabletoenjoylifefullerthantheydidduringtheirlifetime，asthentheywouldhavemoreleisure．Isn’tthefleshbodythenayokeonthesoul?No，toenjoylifewewaituntildeath．Wefreeourselvesfromthestraintsimposeduponus”
Raisinghishead，Dimitrisuddenlysawabattered，beige-coloredautomobilestrahecurbofthestreet．Itsbeautifulyoungmistresswasstandingbythedoorofthecar，dressedinalightgraysuit,smilily,herlonggoldenhairtousledinthewind．
"Whyhi!It’syouagain,Dimitri．Iknewwe’dmeetagain!"
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