The Lying Life of Adults

He said that people who don’t believe in God, as, in fact, he and I didn’t, should nevertheless, out of respect for believers, behave politely: you don’t have to wet your fingers in the holy water font, you don’t have to make the sign of the cross, but you should take off your hat even if the weather is cold, not speak in a loud voice, not light a cigarette or go in smoking.

“It’s good to be afraid. You need to be afraid even when there’s no need, it keeps you alert.”

I was supposed to have a happy life and instead an unhappy period was starting, utterly without the joy of feeling the way they had felt and still did.