
It was one of those
interminable winter days. Like always, right about five p.m., I was running out the
turbulent post office (Boy, was it hectic in there.) I can briefly remember what had happened. After taking a breath, I
derived that I had crashed into someone. It was this tall, skinny young boy,
clad in his black coat, and this red hunting hat. He seemed like a very
affable person because he wouldn’t stop saying, “I’m so damn sorry.” He
gingerly helped me up, and
spontaneously asked me to go out for a drink or watch a movie. I thought it was very strange to ask me that since we just meet.
That crash was
excruciating, I think my knee was bleeding, but I didn’t say anything so I pretended that I was okay. I told him that I could only join him for a brief stop at the bar or something. He told me that he had to meet some old friend so I
surmised that it was fine with him.
“Hey, do you happen to know where the ducks go when the lake freezes?” He asked in a
imperative tone.
What was he thinking? How old is he anyways? And his name, I completely forgot that.
“Oh, I don’t know, I think they, well, it really makes me
despondent…” I said softly, “Oh and I missed your name?”
“Oh, I’m Holden, Holden Caulfield.” He said, “What do you mean it makes you despondent?”
Who asks these questions? I noticed that his breath smelled
abhorrent. My
conjecture is that he was an
avid smoker because of that, and because he was going on his 5th cigar since we bumped into each other.
We entered the bar and I had an
inkling that he was going to keep on asking about the ducks.
“So, you don’t know where they go?” he said.
“No.” I said very
irascibly.“Care to dance?” he asked in a harsh tone. But his eyes seemed genuine so I could be
amiss.
In fact I was a marvelous dancer, so I said yes.
“Hey, do you want to come with me to the west, and I’ll get a job and stuff, and you could come with me and we would
recluse our self and
modify our lives!” he said as fast as he would.
“Wait, Holden, hold on, you seem like a very nice person, but I just meet you and that is just an
audacious choice and it’s
slovenly thought out!” I said, “I don’t want you to
rankle yourself, you seriously thought I was going to say yes?”
“Just shut up!” he yelled, “You really are a pain in the ass.”
Iwas shocked and said, "Ugh, never talk to me again!”
I gave him my word
grimace and rudely walked away.
“Hey, Bartender, give me another drink!” Holden shouted with anger.