He had visited his family the evening before, eaten dinner…
““He had visited his family the evening before, eaten dinner with Renee and Chris, his grandson, in the pretence that everything was ordinary, but in fact to service his end-game ruse. He was going over the mountains, he'd said, to hunt for quail in willow canyons, he had no particular canyons in mind, he intended to return on Thursday evening, though possibly, if the hunting was good, he would return on Friday or Saturday. The lie was open-ended so that his family wouldn't start worrying until he'd been dead for as long as a week - so none would miss or seek him where he rotted silently in the sage. Ben imagined how it might be otherwise, his cancer a pestilent force in their lives, or a pall descending over them like ice, just as they'd begun to emerge from the pall of Rachel's death. The last thing they needed was for Ben to tell hem of his terminal colon cancer.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A man fabricates a death to spare family grief, using a hunting trip as cover.
In simple terms: He lies about a hunt to hide his terminal illness.
Key Takeaway
Consider honesty versus protecting loved ones.
Themes
family
illness
deception
Mood
somber
empathetic
Type
fiction
philosophical
When to use this quote
- health disclosures
- family communication
- end‑of‑life planning
Key Concepts
mortality
ethical dilemma
Questions to Reflect On
- When is truth essential?
- How would you support a terminal patient?
A Different Perspective
Deception may cause deeper pain later.