“I suppose someone has to get these things,”
his mother told him. “Statistically
speaking, I mean. My turn just came up.”
Unsure of whether or not she meant this as
a joke, Jonah said, “Yeah. I guess.”
“So the way I see it, I’ve spared someone
else the trouble. And that’s a very nice
thing of me to do. Don’t you think?”
Jonah just stood there, helpless.
“But you know, you shouldn’t be sad,” she went
on, now flipping through the coupon section.
“Because someday this will all just be a memory. And how you remember it will last much longer
than the event itself. So remember it in
the way that will make you happiest, okay, sweetie?”
“…Okay,” Jonah answered. “I’m, uh, going to go make a cup of coffee.”
“You do that, dear. Don’t let your father near the coffeemaker—it
blows up every time he touches it,” his mother said. She then picked up a pair of scissors and cut
out a coupon for laundry detergent. “Now
that’s a good price,” Jonah heard her murmuring to herself, as he hurried away.
