This Piece of Work Does Not Exist.

Translated transcript of audio piece:

H: Tuberculosis apparently, he had it when he was young and..

GR: … when he was young yes. It’s like they say “You have something old.” When you catch a cold or have bronchitis, they say it's something old inside you. It’s something from the past. Like me for instance, when my bronchitis gets bad- -

H: Yes, it’s like that.

GR: They tell me it’s old, from childhood.

H: Catastrophic…

GR: It’s chronic- you can’t get rid of it. It’s only when you get so tired that it kills you. You can’t survive death beyond your time.

H: He…was apparently in a good mood the whole time - -

GR: Yes, yes.

H: But when it got to the last day he - -

GR: My God, when I went to see him with your father I thought he spoke so lucidly. To say that he spoke one word out of place, or he made a mistake or- nothing, nothing at all! He didn’t, he spoke very well.

H: He spoke very well! That last day though, Diti told me he kept saying “I’m just so tired now. I’m tired.”.

GR: “I’m tired.” Nothing you can do anymore.

[GR stands up, taking dirty plates with her.]

H: No, you sit. Sit here, sit here - -

GR: No I want to- I got my hands dirty. I wouldn’t have gotten up but I made my hands dirty so I thought two birds one stone. Because once I sit, I can’t get back up anymore. But as long as I’m up I can do some sort of work. See, I made lunch, I made breakfast. So when I can, I stand up.

[GR washes her hands.]

GR: Oh sweetie, thank God he’s not suffering anymore. He went first, with the house still full. Look at Auntie Gjeva, she-

[GR begins muttering about the state of the kitchen.]

GR: What have they done to this…

GR: She (Auntie Gjeva) is alone, no kids, and her husband has passed. What is she to do, the poor thing, go crazy? Life goes on, you can’t go crazy.

[GR drinks water.]

GR: You see how much water I’m drinking?

H: That’s good, it’ll do you so well.

GR: I drank a whole bottle just when I sat down, now it’s the second.

H: Very good. There’s nothing better.

GR: There’s nothing better, and from the tap it’s cold. And the store bought one I don’t like it - -

H: Me too I think - -

GR: It has a smell. Are you drinking the tap water too?

H: Sometimes this, sometimes the one in the bottle.

GR: Lira and Zana, we didn’t buy them anything. Did you buy something?

H: I got some chocolate.

GR: Chocolate… okay. Tell them grandma couldn’t go to the shop but here’s some money - -

H: Hey come on, don’t start with that.

GR: I only managed to get some juice, potatoes, onions and stuff.

H: Don’t worry, those two will visit in the summer.

GR: No, because my feet were hurting and I thought about it, but… I couldn’t.

H: They’re grown up now.

GR: What?

H: They’re grown up now. You don’t need to get them presents.

[GR is visibly fatigued.]

GR: And the poor darlings are probably so upset and Mum isn’t there…

[GR begins to cry.]

H: It’s okay, Dad was there. Now you don’t get upset too, okay?

GR: What?

H: Don’t get upset now too!

[I put my head in GR’s lap. She strokes my hair.]

GR: When you arrive you have to let me know. Just buzz the phone.

H: I’ll send you a message, don't worry. I will.

GR: You will… She’ll take you in a minute. It’ll be 12 something by the time you - -