The Lovers   ::   Фармер Филип Хосе

'You haven't kissed me,' she said.

'Ah, yes,' he replied. 'That's my duty. I forgot.'

'It shouldn't be a duty,' she said. 'It should be a joy.'

'It's hard to enjoy kissing lips that snarl,' he said.

To his surprise, Mary, instead of replying angrily, began to weep. At once, he felt ashamed.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'But you'll have to admit you weren't in a very good mood when you came in.'

He went to her and tried to put his arms around her, but she turned away from him. Nevertheless, he kissed her on the side of her mouth as she turned her head.

'I don't want you to do that because you feel sorry for me or because it's your duty,' she said. 'I want you to do it because you love me.'

'But I do love you,' he said for what seemed like the thousandth time since they had married. Even to himself, he sounded unconvincing. Yet – he told himself – he did love her. He had to.

'You have a very nice way of showing it,' she said.

'Let's forget what happened and start all over again,' he said. 'Here.'

And he started to kiss her, but she backed away.

'What in H is the matter with you? he said.

'You have given me my greeting kiss,' she said. 'You must not start getting sensual. This is not the time or place.'

He threw his hands up in the air.

'Who's getting sensual? I wanted to act as if you had just come in the door. Is it worse to have one more kiss than prescribed than it is to quarrel? The trouble with you, Mary, is that you're absolutely literal-minded. Don't you know the Forerunner himself didn't demand that his prescriptions be taken literally? He himself said that circumstances sometimes warranted modifications!'

'Yes, and he also said that we must beware of rationalizing ourselves into departing from his law. We must first confer with a gapt about the reality of our behavior.'

'Oh, of course!' he said. 'I'll phone our good guardian angel pro tempore and ask him if it's all right if I kiss you again!'

'That's the only safe thing to do,' she said.

'Great Sigmen!' he shouted. 'I don't know whether to laugh or cry! But I do know that I don't understand you! I never will!'

'Say a prayer to Sigmen,' she said. 'Ask him to give you reality. Then, we will have no difficulty.'

'Say a prayer yourself,' he said. 'It takes two to make a quarrel. You're just as responsible as I am.'

'I'll talk to you later when you're not so angry,' she said. 'I have to wash and eat.'

'Never mind me,' he replied.