He raced the motor, urging the car to decide which way to turn onto the street. "Come on, man . . . be serious." Gearshift hot as a poker, and ears ringing . . . finally, palm to face to somehow press away the ringing-I seemed to feel a tendoned hand playfully squeezing my knee, and a bagpipe's whirling skirl wheezing in my throat-and discovers that he is weeping again; squeezing, wheezing and rattling the scene . . . and it is then-"Or if you can't be serious," I scolded, "at least be rational; who could possibly in this wasted world . . . ?"-that he remembers the postcard lying on the porch.
The scene depicts a tense moment in a car where the protagonist is urging the driver to focus and make a decision about which way to turn. As the tension builds, physical sensations overwhelm him, and a feeling of emotional vulnerability arises. He becomes aware of a playful, yet concerning, touch on his knee, leading to a mix of deep reflection and tears. The urgency is palpable, revealing both the chaos of the moment and the emotional depth of the character.
