Rubrik: Lebensweisheit

In Würde sterben

In Würde alt werden. In Würde sterben. Philosophieren als Sterbenlernen. Ok. - And what about this?

[Szene aus "Philip Roth: The Dying Animal"]

Auf dem Sterbebett verabschiedet sich der halbseitig gelähmte George von Frau und Kindern sowie seinem besten Freund, David Kepesh, dem Ich-Erzähler. Kate, seine Frau, ist als letzte dran. Sie begibt sich ans Bett.

George reached up for her now, and with his good arm pulled her toward him, and kissed her as forcefully as he'd kissed Betty and me. Kate kissed him back. Then they kissed again, a long kiss this time, a quite passionate kiss. Kate even closed her eyes. She's an exceedingly unsentimental, down-to-earth person, and I'd never before seen her do anything so girlish.

Dann versucht George, den Knopf ihres rechten Blusenärmels zu lösen. "George", Kate whispered softly. She sounded amused. "Georgie, Georgie ..." "Help him, Ma. He wants to open the button." Das war Betty. Linker Ärmel. And all this time he kept going hungrily for her lips. Kate caressed his ruined face, ..., kissed his lips each time he offered them. Schliesslich beginnt er an den Knöpfen an der Vorderseite ihrer Bluse herumzufummeln [fumble].

His plan was clear: he was trying to undress her. To undress this woman whom ... he had not touched in bed in years. ... "Let him, Ma." Wieder Betty. Küsse. Dann der BH. But, abruptly, that was the end of it. The force went out of him just like that, and he never reached her pendulous breasts. Zwölf Sunden später wird er tot sein.

Kate begleitet Kepesh zu seinem Auto. I said, "I was glad I was here to see all this." "Yes, that was something, wasn't it?" Kate said. And then with her weary smile she added, "I wonder who it is he thought I was."