LES LI E EPSTE IN
47
Then there was no thing but th e click o f the fork, the click o f th e
kni fe . After a time o rma n sa id , " Stanl ey ca ll ed. H e's got tickets fo r
o pening day. You guys want to go?"
" Is Pa ul Petit starring ?"
J
as ked, referring to the pitcher wh o had
made such a stir as the first o f the bonus babies.
" 1 think it' ll be Johnn y Lindell ," No rman repli ed, " but I have n't seen
the pa pers in a whil e. Wh a t 's th e o utfi eld like ?"
" Kell eher's being repl aced by Ca rl os Beiner. SaHel's in center. This
guy Ted Bea rd 's in right. "
"Stevens a t first ? Sa ndl ock still ca tching?"
" Yes, but-"
"Oh, fo r Heaven's sa ke!" Lo tte excl a imed. "The sky is fallin g down
and we're go ing to ta lk a bout base ba ll ?
Baseball! "
"Wh a t wo uld you prefer to di scuss, Lo tte? Sa ltwater ta ffy?"
Ba rron, with a milk ring a round hi s mouth, said , " Are we go ing to
have to move out of the ho use when th e sky fa ll s? Are Richa rd a nd Bar–
ti e go ing to be wa ifs?"
"Oh, Ba rri e," Lo tte sa id. " [ could bite my tongue. It's o nl y a fi gure
o f speech. "
" [t's beca use you' re Jews.
J
hea rd you say so . The sky is go ing to fa ll
on you beca use yo u kill ed ba by Jes us Chri st."
" Wh y don't you just shut up, Ba rri e ? Yo u don't kn ow a nything a bo ut
a nything. "
" 1
do so ! You are J acobi es ! Th a t's wh y you a re persecuted. The sky
is go in g to fa ll on you and kill you. "
" Wh a t the
hell
a re yo u ta lking a bout ? You cra zy idi ot-"
" Ri cha rd! Your language ! Shame on yo u! "
" Well , li sten to him . H e should go to a crazy house o r a crazy doc–
to r. "
No rma n: "And you should go to your room. Right now. Move !"
"Wh a t a bout him ? He thinks he's different than us. You're just the
same as us, crazy Barti e."
"Not! [ am not! I am Ba rton Wil son. No t Jacobi. All the Communi sts
a re go ing to burn in hel!. "
" ( ca n't stand a minute mo re o f thi s," sa id Lo tte. " (' m go ing to
sc ream. "
"Stop it, " sa id Norma n, " th e two o f you. "
"Ma ke
him
stop, " 1 cried. "Wh y won't he stop? Please ma ke him be
no rma!' 1 am tired o f wa iting a nd wa iting fo r him to grow up. "
" ( am
no rma l! " cri ed Ba rti e. " I beli eve in Genera l MacArthur. "
