When she turned to the Old Woman and asked,
"How are you? I hope you are well! Tell me, I really want to know!"
The Old Woman would say:
"I am."
And when pressed,
"I am. I am. That I am."
Or, for variety:
"I'm doing."
But only when asked, how was she doing.
Or other times, when the Girl had less patience:
"That's not an answer!"
The answer would be delivered with a mischievous smile:
"It's not. It's not. It's terrible. So very terrible,"
As if the very words were being played with, not for meaning, not for communication. But sounds, merely echoes of familiar sounds. Familiar songs, played back. And as long as you could still sing the songs, that melody was enough of an answer.
"How are you? I hope you are well! Tell me, I really want to know!"
The Old Woman would say:
"I am."
And when pressed,
"I am. I am. That I am."
Or, for variety:
"I'm doing."
But only when asked, how was she doing.
Or other times, when the Girl had less patience:
"That's not an answer!"
The answer would be delivered with a mischievous smile:
"It's not. It's not. It's terrible. So very terrible,"
As if the very words were being played with, not for meaning, not for communication. But sounds, merely echoes of familiar sounds. Familiar songs, played back. And as long as you could still sing the songs, that melody was enough of an answer.
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