A woman phones him every second evening. Every time the phone rings he answers. He has never contemplated not to pick it up. This routine is something he does not look forward to. She always knows how to choose the words that can hurt him most. After the irrelevant bits are said she drops a discomforting sentence that shatters his mind for the next hour. She delivers her words in an offhand manner, purposely casual. Politely, he always waits for her to decide when the conversation is over. He then proceeds to assemble the pieces of his inner balance the call scattered. A painful process. He could stop this, easily, but somehow that does not seem the right thing to do. He lets the episode repeat itself shortly.
Yes.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'm quick enough to detect the shattering process the second before it begins and I manage to put the receiver away from my ear to the right distance as to no really get the meaning but being able to know when the word-flow is over.
But most of the times is exactly as you say.
Looks Murakami's :)
ReplyDeleteThe passing similitude with Murakami's mysterious calling woman in The Wind-up Bird does not escape me either, but believe me when I tell you that all similarities stop there. :)
ReplyDeleteOooohhhh, I was expecting some more :) Sure you don't have a lost cat or you like entering wells? :)
ReplyDelete