[excerpt] River Boy - Tim Bowler

 

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River Boy

저자

Bowler, Tim 지음

출판사

Simon Pulse | 2002-01-01 출간

카테고리

문학/만화

책소개

Fifteen-year-old Jess's grandfather...

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▒ "The life of the river." His eyes remained fixed on the horizon. "It's born here and it runs its allotted distance, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes straight, sometimes twisting, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, and it keeps on running until it reaches its end in the sea. I find that comforting."

 "In what way?"

 "Just to know that whatever happens to the river on its journey, it'll end up in something beautiful."

 "But death isn't beautiful," she said, thinking of Grandpa.

 "It's dying that isn't beautiful," he said, still gazing at the sea. "But, then, living isn't always beautiful either. This river will have its battles on the way, but it'll keep on running because it has to. And even when it reaches the end, it'll already have started renewing itself here. I find that comforting, too."

 

 

▒ Yes. she was going to be OK. She wasn't OK yet; she wouldn't be OK for some time; but she would be OK one day. She would grieve, just like Mom and Dad, especially Dad, and her grief would be deep, and it would hert her.

 But she wanted that grief: she knew it was natural and right, just as the passing of this strange and wonderful old man was natural and right, just as her own death would one day be natural and right. But there was much living to do first, much living, much growing.

 

 

▒ Because she knew she would ever come back to this place. To return would be to destroy a spell, a spell that had fallen upon her for a few short days but now was passing from her life. Better to leave this place sacred, just as she had found it, and let the enchantment live on in memory.