Chapter 10

Leper and I took a walk through here.

After receiving the note from Leper, I made the journey to Vermont to see him. When I arrived at his house, he welcomed me into the dining room, because he wanted to talk in a room where he spends most of his time, unlike the living room. "You aren't lost for something to do in dining rooms" (133). The way he put it made sense, but also made him seem a little crazy. Eventually Leper got to talking. He told me how he escaped and accused me of thinking he was "psycho". I did not like this word and it angered me. Leper also explained how he was stationed to Section Eight discharge and didn't like this because that's where they send the crazy people. We started fighting about this position in the army and Leper finally told me, "You always were a savage underneath" (137). He then accused me of pushing Finny out of the tree and at this, I got angry. I kicked his chair and he fell onto the ground. "Laughing and crying he lay with his head on the floor and his knees up" (137). His mother ran down the stairs and explained how he was ill. I wanted to go, but I felt guilty, so I stayed for lunch. I also ate a few helpings of food and decided that this had helped Leper's mother accept my apology. "He's a good boy underneath, a terrible temper, no self-control, but he's sorry and he is a good boy underneath" (138). Deep down, however, I knew that Leper knew the truth. After lunch, we took a walk and he continued talking about the war. He had really gone crazy. He talked about how he saw faces on other people, and someone's mop turned into a limb. All of the sudden, he started to cry. "Hoarse, cracking sobs" (140). I wanted him to stop and I wanted to leave. He told me about his backwards schedule and how he ate and slept when he normally wouldn't have. After telling me about the faces changing, I lost it. I wanted to leave. "I didn't care because it had nothing to do with me" (143). Who was I becoming? I didn't know anymore and I felt like a stranger in my own body.