it seemed so,was the answer. Even if he had stayed with Muriel,he would then have left Sarah behind.' After a certain age,'he told Sarah,'it seems to me you can only choose what to lose.'
While Sarah was at her art class,Macon worked on his Canada book,but his mind wasn't on the job. He stared out of the open window at a bush, where a bee was buzzing from flower to flower. Was it time for the bees already?Did muriel know? Would she remember what a single bee could do to Alexander? She was so careless, so unthinking; how could he have lived with someone like that? Her untidy habits,her misuse of words.There was no way she would remember about the bees.
He reached for the phone on his desk and didled.'Muriel?'
'What,'she said flatly.
'this is Macon.'
'Yes,I know.'
He paused. He said,'Um,it's bee season, Muriel. I mean summer comes along so quickly, and I was just wondering if you'd thought about Alexander's injection.'
'Don't you believe I can manage that myself?' she shouted.
'Oh.Well.'
'You think I'm that stupid I can't remember even the simplest thing?So useless I can't even take care of my own son?'
'Well,I wasn't sure,you see,that-'
'A fine one you are! You desert that child without a goodbye and then you call me up to tell me I'm not a good mother!'
'No,wait,Muriel-'
'Dominick is dead,' she said.
'What? Dominick? The boy who fixes your car?'
'Not that you would care. It was his night to take my car and coming home he crashed into a guardrail.Died at once.'