the last book I ever read (A Horse Walks into a Bar: A Novel by David Grossman, excerpt five)

from A Horse Walks into a Bar: A Novel by David Grossman:

A sharp look at the woman who made fun of him. The audience laughs. I don’t. I saw it happen in Be’er Ora, at the Gadna Camp, for four whole days.

“But when I was on my hands, you know, no one beats up a kid walking upside down. That’s a fact. Let’s say you want to slap an upside-down kid—well, how are you gonna get to his face? I mean, you’re not gonna bend all the way down to the ground and slap him, right? Or say you wanna kick him. Where exactly would you do that? Where are his balls now anyway? Confusing, eh? Illusory! And maybe you even start to be a little afraid of him. Yeah, ‘cause an upside-down kid is no joke. Sometimes”—he sneaks a look at the medium—“you even think he’s a crazy kid. Mom, Mom, look, a boy walking on his hands! Shut up and look at the man slitting his wrists! Ouch…” He sighs.”I was a total nutcase. You can ask her what a joke I was around the neighborhood.” He jerks his thumb in her direction without looking at her. She is listening as though weighing every word, and she keeps shaking her head firmly: no.