without looking atme, "She was very close to your mother. She says your mother

was her only friend and now she hasn't got any- one. "

 

We just sat there like that for quite a while. The woman's sighs and sobs were

quieting down. She sniffled a lot. Then finally she shut up. I didn't feel

drowsy anymore, but I was tired and my back was hurting me. Now it was all these

people not making a sound that was getting on my nerves. Except that every now

and then I'd hear a strange noise and I couldn't figure out what it was. Finally

I realized that some of the old people were sucking at the insides of their

cheeks and making these weird smacking noises. They were so lost in their

thoughts that they weren't even aware of it. I even had the impression that the

dead woman lying in front of them didn't mean anything to them. But I think now

that that was a false impression.

 

We all had some coffee, served by the caretaker.

 

After that I don't know any more. The night passed. I remember opening my eyes

at one point and seeing that all the old people were slumped over asleep, except

for one old man, with his chin resting on the back of his hands wrapped around

his cane, who was staring at me as if he were just waiting for me to wake up.

Then I dozed off again. I woke up because my back was hurting more and more.

Dawn was creeping up over the skylight. Soon afterwards, one of the old men woke

up and coughed a lot. He kept hacking into a large checkered handker­ chief, and

every cough was like a convulsion. He wokethe others up, and the caretaker told

them that they ought to be going. They got up. The uncomfortable vigil had left