Kevin's dead cat
From Philip K. Dick's novel, Valis, pg 26:
Our friend Kevin always began his attack one way. "What about my dead cat?" Kevin would ask. Several years ago, Kevin had been out walking his cat in the early evening. Kevin, the fool, had not put the cat on a leash, and the cat had dashed into the street and right into the front wheel of a passing car. When he picked up the remains of the cat it was still alive, breathing in bloody foam and staring at him in horror. Kevin liked to say, "On judgement day when I'm brought up before the great judge I'm going to say, 'Hold on a second,' and then I'm going to whip out my dead cat from inside my coat. 'How do you explain this? I'm going to ask." By then, Kevin would say, the cat would be as stiff as a frying pan; he would hold out the cat by its handle, its tail, and wait for a satisfactory answer.
Fat said, "No answer would satisfy you."
"No answer you could give," Kevin sneered. "Okay, so God saved your son's life; why didn't he have my cat run out into the street five seconds later? Three seconds later? Would that have been too much trouble? Of course, I suppose a cat doesn't matter.?
"You know, Kevin," I pointed out one time, "you could have put the cat on a leash."
Our friend Kevin always began his attack one way. "What about my dead cat?" Kevin would ask. Several years ago, Kevin had been out walking his cat in the early evening. Kevin, the fool, had not put the cat on a leash, and the cat had dashed into the street and right into the front wheel of a passing car. When he picked up the remains of the cat it was still alive, breathing in bloody foam and staring at him in horror. Kevin liked to say, "On judgement day when I'm brought up before the great judge I'm going to say, 'Hold on a second,' and then I'm going to whip out my dead cat from inside my coat. 'How do you explain this? I'm going to ask." By then, Kevin would say, the cat would be as stiff as a frying pan; he would hold out the cat by its handle, its tail, and wait for a satisfactory answer.
Fat said, "No answer would satisfy you."
"No answer you could give," Kevin sneered. "Okay, so God saved your son's life; why didn't he have my cat run out into the street five seconds later? Three seconds later? Would that have been too much trouble? Of course, I suppose a cat doesn't matter.?
"You know, Kevin," I pointed out one time, "you could have put the cat on a leash."
3 Comments:
How are you doing James?
Hi,
I just wanted to say how much this blog means to me. My family is going through a similar situation to the one laura and james and her family dealt with. Reading Laura's blog has been really painful, but somehow helpful. It hasn't made me feel 'better' exactly, but it's helped me understand what my step-dad is going through, and help me understand my own reactions to his illness.
I hope you keep this blog up for a long time, because reading it is like having a hand come out of the darkness. The darkness is still scary but at least you know you're not along.
Thanks
I was deeply touched by the message you left to your wife I'm sure she was a truly amazing woman, I hope that you find peace and solace, Laura Worley
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