"Kit Reed - What Wolves Know" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Kit)

Happy strains to make out what sheтАЩs trying to tell him but there is no
way of translating it.

тАЬI tried. I even named you after him!тАЭ

Frederick, he supposes. He supposes it was on the dogtag, but Brent
says his name was on the dogtag, and Happy? Frederick is not his name.

In the still air of the bedroom, her voice is sad and thin. тАЬMy four big
boys fought back when he hit them, so I had you. Anything to stop him. But
this time.тАЭ That sigh. тАЬHe didnтАЩt stop. Forgive me, Happy. I did what you do
to make it through. I couldnтАЩt take it!тАЭ

The story she is telling is sad, but itтАЩs only a story. Wolves know that
fathers arenтАЩt the only ones that hurt you.
 тАЬYou cried. you cried so much. He got so mad. He came at me. He
kept coming at me and oh God, oh, Happy. I put you in front of me.тАЭ

Happy flinches.

тАЬI couldnтАЩt watch. I left him to it.тАЭ Relieved, she says in a light voice,
тАЬAnd that was it.тАЭ As if itтАЩs all she needs to do.

Fine. If she is done, then, sheтАЩll leave. As soon as she leaves heтАЩll get
up and lock the door.

Then, just when he thinks itтАЩs over and he can forget this, she groans.
тАЬIтАЩm so sorry, son.тАЭ

There is another of the long, painful pauses that wolves prefer to
using words. Silence is clear, where words are ambiguous.

She says, тАЬI never knew what he was doing. I didnтАЩt want to know.тАЭ

She says, тАЬI know, I know, I should have left him, but where can a
woman go with four little boys and a baby? I should have kicked him out,
but how would I feed my children then?тАЭ

The silence.

тАЬSo you do forgive me, right?тАЭ

Forgive is not a word wolves know.

тАЬRight?тАЭ

He wonтАЩt move or speak. Why should he?

тАЬThese things happen, son. Things happen when people are
stretched too far and their love is stretched too thin. Oh, please try to