Page 77 - November 2020

77
Litterateur
November 2020

Emilia

The clock on the wall was just striking the quarter. Dr.Grossmann cast an
uncertain look at Emilia, the suit, the mirror and the gilt clock face of the
pendulum clock. His beloved wife's words sounded so natural. There was a lot of
truth in them. They contained nearly the whole truth and almost all of them were
sincere. Emilia was always sincere, truthful and wonderful. There was nothing
special about that. But all the rest was fundamentally new and strange. It didn't
suit their flat, it didn't match the colour of their furniture. Above the garden the
sun became a blotch in a wet sky.

Grossmann So you seriously think I'm going to go to my own funeral in that
school graduation suit, do you?
Emilia I don't know if you'll go there. I even doubt it, but you'll get there
somehow. There's nothing to worry about. You won't be the first deceased.
Leave that to the bereaved. It's their worry.
Grossmann Even so, there's one thing I don't understand. I don't understand
why you think you will outlive me. That's not clear to me.
Emilia You see how many things are still not clear in our perfect family
life.
Grossmann I do see.
Emilia There was never anything wrong with your sight.
Grossmann That's a fact, but even so, it's not clear enough to me why you
presume you'll outlive me.
Emilia You see, and yet it's so simple.
Grossmann Simple?
Emilia Simple.
Grossmann Then explain to me why you think that.
Emilia Because it's so simple.

Grossmann But in spite of that, I don't understand.
Emilia Don't let that bother you, I don't understand it either.
Grossmann Then it really is simple. At last I can understand it, too.
Emilia What do you understand?
Grossmann Do you know, I don't know.
Emilia I know.
Grossmann You see how wonderful it is when we understand each other like
this.
Emilia That's a good reason for thinking that you'll understand this suit
belongs in the cupboard.
Grossmann Oh, no. That's out of the question.
Emilia Then tell me what, in your opinion, am I to bury you in? Be so
kind and tell me, what I am meant to bury you in? You can't possibly think I…