Talking to myself - 4(On ghosts)

“The other day I was threatened.”

“By what?”

“Ghosts.”

“Ghosts become ghosts after they die.”

“They said I had killed them.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

“Then why are they accusing you?”

“Because they say I did not notice they had died. I did not mourn loud enough.”

“You notice everything, so how did this escape your eyes?”

“I thought they were still there…they continued to haunt.”

“Now you know they are gone.”

“Yes, but they have returned to threaten me.”

“What is the threat?”

“They say they will never leave me.”

“That is fine. You are anyway haunted by their memories.”

“Memories are not ghosts; memories are my embellishments.”

“If ghosts are not real, then why fear them?”

“I don’t fear them. I just don’t like threats.”

“You want them to leave?”

“I am not sure…”

“Why?”

“Because they may take away the memories too now.”

“Why are those memories so important?”

“Because we can select memories, not ghosts.”

“Then why don’t you threaten them?”

“What should I say?”

“Tell them that they are alive.”

“Why will they be afraid of that?”

“They will lose their identity.”

“Ghosts have no identity; they are residues.”

“Residues have an identity – they thrive on being the remains of something.”

“Is it possible to kill ghosts?”

“Then that would be double murder.”

“I want to be free.”

“Your freedom is self-destructive. You would be Icarus, you’d go too close to the sun and melt your wax wings.”

“I’d fall in the sea. Ghosts don’t come underwater, do they?”

“I don’t know. But what would you do there?”

“Become a mermaid.”

“What will you gain?”

“Fins.”