Company

 

An insect crawled across a wooden desk. Our friend looked at it with disinterest. It was a termite, but he could not bring himself to care about the damage this meant. He had got rid of all the conventional distractions. His phone was off and on the other side of the room. His books were out of reach. There was nothing even moderately entertaining on his computer. The termite was unaccounted for. It was also uninteresting. But it was enough to occupy a brain that was crying out for distraction.

It was midday. Our friend realized he had not spoken a word since waking up. He had not seen another face. Only an insect could attest to his well-being today. He felt the question ‘if I died in my room how long would it take for someone to notice?’ acquire a more difficult character.

There was little to do at the end of the workday. He ran through the motions of his usual routine. Outside went from grey to dark. Conscious of the fact from midday, he was actively aware of going the whole day without conversation. There was a moment of concern before he realized this was not the first instance. This is grounds for greater concern, he thought, once the realization set in. Thank god for the internet, he said to himself. Without talking, what is really there to live for? Now getting ready for bed, he looked around the desk for any sign of the termite. He wondered if at least that insect looked forward to seeing him every morning.