"Were you at the funeral?" "No. Couldn't make it. Damned shame. Jack, of all people!"
"Still a young man."
"Did they ever find out what happened? I mean, what did it for him in the end?"
"God knows. They did an autopsy, the whole bit. Couldn't find a bloody thing."
"I heard it was a coronary. Then I heard it wasn't."
"I found him, you know. Went out to Surrey as usual on the weekend. He'd left the front door open for me. I went in and he was sitting in that gloomy corner of the living room. A bit gray, as usual. Seemed to be contemplating the wall. He liked to contemplate the wall. Said it relaxed him."
"Relaxed? With his temper? My God, I remember in the old days -"
"Yes. Well, you haven't see him for years. That temper, it sort of - I don't know, it sort of faded away. He prided himself on that. Said he kept himself even. All the time. That's why he liked to contemplate the wall. To stay even."
"Time was when I thought lung cancer would get him. Never saw a man enjoy the weed so much. Anything - cigars, cigarettes - didn't he try chewing it once?"
"Sure. Snuff too. He was game for anything."
"I remember when he stopped. Boom, just like that. Amazing."
"Yes. He was very impressed by that Observer series on smoking. Those pictures of umber-colored lungs."
"Of course it could have been the cholesterol that got him. Never saw a trencherman like he was in the old days. My God, do you remember those weekends at his place in Cornwall? That lovely blonde beast, what a cook she was!"
"She was good at lots of things."
"I remember. I really envied the beggar, let me tell you. All that and Cornish clotted cream."
"Very sad business when they broke up."
"I was in Costa Rica by then. Never did know what happened."
"You never saw that horrifying BBC documentary on cholesterol? Pictures of clogged arteries. He wouldn't touch a bit of animal fat after that. No flesh at all. No fish, either. I mean, fish is supposed to be all right, but he said you never know. No butter, no eggs, no cheese, no Cornish cream. Well, Angela was put out at first, but then she took it as a challenge. Started on the Indian vegetarian nosh. Brilliant she was. They were happier than ever."
"So what
...
Read Full Article
|
