Mr Antolini

Mr and Mrs Antolini lived in this really swanky apartment. They had been entertaining, the place was a mess and you could see Mr Antolini had had one too many, and he was still drinking. We started a very long talk about my life and where I want to end up. He told me that I was heading for a fall. A horrible one. he told me 'The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit the bottom.' I sort of followed him but, to tell you the truth, I wasn't really listening, I was so goddam tired, I felt dizzy and had a huge headache. I just wanted to sleep. He also told me 'The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.' I knew what he was saying. I thanked him and all. But all I really wanted to do was sleep. Mr. Antolini was still pretty drunk but he stopped talking and helped me make up the sofa so I could go to bed.
I lay there and I thought about what Mr. Antolini had said for a while, then I fell asleep. Then something weird happened. I woke up and Mr. Antolini was sitting there, in the dark and all, he was still drinking. And he had his goddam hand on my head. I was up like a shot, I was shaking like a bastard! It was so goddam embaressing! I made the excuse that I had to collect my bag, he didn't believe me but I had to get out! It took so goddam long for the elevator to come, I have never waited so long in my whole goddam life. As song as it got there I was out like a shot. Man I hate stuff like that.