Page 146 - Where the Dream Ends ebook

Marc Erdrich

They wanted to have sex, but the walls between the rooms
didn’t reach the ceiling, so they decided to wait until morning
when Bob and Jean were sure to be deep in slumber. They fell
asleep promptly and it was several hours before Harry awoke
having to pee.

* * *

From the living room Harry inched his way toward the
bathroom, afraid that at any moment he would step on one
of those grotesque palmetto bugs. Just as he was about to go
into the bathroom though, he changed his mind and decided
to go to outside instead. He laughed to himself remembering
a stupid line he had read somewhere, probably on the internet,
that American English is the only language where you go to
the bathroom to go the bathroom. He walked quietly to the
front door, opened it, and stepped outside.

He stood there for quite a while, letting the warm island
breeze caress his naked body, listening to the sound of the
waves — the benevolent Caribbean — washing against the
shore. The waxing moon was low in the sky, its light shimmer-
ing across the water toward the distant horizon. He stepped
off the porch onto the velvety knots of zoysia grass, luxuri-
ating in its softness. From there he walked across the sandy
beach road and down to the water’s edge. He waded in up to
his knees and peed into the sea as waves splashed against his
thighs. The nearest house was over a quarter mile away and
the beach was hidden from the road by a row of low-growing
palm trees, so Harry felt at ease in his nakedness. He knew Jean
wasn’t home yet because he would have been awakened by the
sound of a car, but even if she arrived just then she wouldn’t
see him. When he was done with his business, he walked along

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