TranscriptAnother beautiful spring day; mystical perfection. Walker died at 3.40 in the afternoon, after a day & a half in a coma & about four hours of stertorous breathing. A profound stab of grief came over me, despite the weeklong expectation.
I helped keep the grandsons occupied while the undertaker wheeled Walker’s body from the house & into the hearse. Then I telephoned Bob Giroux, who had already heard the news from Father Samway. Bunt let herself weep for the first time since we got here (so far as we knew). All the long-drawn-out suffering helped greatly to alleviate the shock when it came; at least until the thought came over me that I had lost not only my best but also my only close friend. |