Summary

This section beings with a chapter about Ben. Ben wakes up in bed next to his wife, Marsha. His schizophrenia does not seem to be an issue anymore. Nevertheless, he still “checks the floor of his mind for cracks, as he makes himself do at some point, explicitly, every morning” (186). The narrator describes Marsha as an orderly person who values and implements routine, which is beneficial to Ben because this way of life occupies his mind. Ben recalls first meeting Marsha when he was bussing at her restaurant. He appeared helpless to Marsha, and she apparently took (and continues to take) pleasure tending to him and finding ways to keep him industrious. Ben and Marsha go to church that morning and listen to Pastor Michael’s sermon. Michael’s sermon addresses how God tends to Jerusalem despite its peoples’ sin: “Did he want to...