had been
on a slide？ Twenty years？ It didn't seem possible it could be that long； it
didn't feel that long； but it had to be that； or more。 He could remember his old
man taking him to the park in Berlin when he had been Danny's age； and he had
done the whole bit slide； swings； teeter…totters； everything。 He and the old man
would have a hotdog lunch and buy peanuts from the man with the cart afterward。
They would sit on a bench to eat them and dusky clouds of pigeons would flock
around their feet。
〃Goddam scavenger birds；〃 his dad would say； 〃don't you feed them； Jacky。〃 But
they would both end up feeding them； and giggling at the way they ran after the
nuts； the greedy way they ran after the nuts。 Jack didn't think the old man had
ever taken his brothers to the park。 Jack had been his favorite； and even so
Jack had taken his lumps when the old man was drunk； which was a lot of the
time。 But Jack had loved him for as long as he was able； long after the rest of
the family could only hate and fear him。
He pushed off with his hands and went to the bottom； but the trip was
unsatisfying。 The slide；