Insanity. It's one of thos ethings we take for granted. I mean, not one
of those things we HAVE that we take for granted. One of those things we
DON'T have that we take for granted.
It always happens in September, doesn't it? She always shows up then.
Of course, I'm never surprised when she does. I enjoy it a lot of the time, even though she drives me crazy.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" she asked me as she starred dreamily out of the window of our dorm.
"No." I said, not looking up from my work.
"I think you would."
"Why?"
"Because the air would be nice."
"I need to finish my homework."
"So? You've got all weekend."
If it were me telling her that, I would have been yelling. But of course she never yelled. Ever. Never! It amused me how calm and monotone he always was.
"Go for a walk?" she asked again. I looked up from my work and at her. She smiled, so of course I smiled back.
"Yes, lets go for a walk," I said, closing my book. She nodded at me and smiled.
I hadn't seen her all summer, and I was gratefull. But now that school started, I saw her everyday. Everyday ... and she annoyed me. She would never go away. Never! Ever!
"I've been wondering," she said as we walked around the lake. It was unusually cold for September and I felt goosebumps form on my arms. Or maybe it was just her sending chills down my spine..
"What .." I asked almost immediatly.
"I have been wondering," she repeated. Of course, she could just do that. Just STOP after mystifying me like that. I blinked.
"What have you been wondering?" I responded to her un-finished statement.
"What... what would it be like to be insane?" I she asked.
I didn't look at her. Of course, she ALWAYS asked these questions!! It wasn't even a question though.. just a statement. She wasn't asking me...
"I don't know," I said.
"Who was it that wrote, "Isn't it joyous to be insane?!" she asked me.
"My ex-boyfriend wrote that to me in a letter, I scrunched my nose. "I didn't know you read that letter."
"No .. it was someone else.. someone famous maybe?" she asked me.
"Probably... he was never one for original statements," I smiled at my own ditty. He would have called me bitter for saying that.
"You're bitter," she said, turning on me.
"About what??" I raised my voice.
I walked quicker in response.
"See..?"
"I'm not bitter."
"So what about insanity? Whats it like, Alicia?"
I still didn't answer.
"Why aren't you answering?"
"Because I don't know the answer.."
"I think you do. You're very smart you know."
"And that instantly makes me know about insanity."
"Perhaps."
"Why are you asking ME?"
"Because I want to know... I mean, why isit so popular?"
"Popular?!"
"Yes, everyone is obsessed with it.."
"Insanity is the backbone to humanity."
"Look, you're a poet and you don't know it!"
"Shut up."
"Alright.."
We kept walking. I was officially in a disgustingly bad mood.
"So.. whats it like?"
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!" I screamed at her, my voice echoing. A few owls fled the scene from their perch in the trees of the Forbiden forest.
And yet she still grin slightly. Her smile never changed. Her face never changed. Always that same faraway grin..
"What about Ophelia?"
"Ophelia who...?" I finally answered after about a minute.
"You know... from Hamlet? She was crazy, right?"
"That... is the assumption..." I said slowly.
"You don't think she was," she accused me.
"Just because you go around singing senseless songs and dancing about and talking to imaginary people doesn't mean you're insane," I responded quickly.
"Is that what she did?"
"You should know.. we read the book."
"We did."
"I'm not insane," I finally said to her. I know now thats all she wanted to hear from me.
"Aren't you though?"
And I was startled to find that I was standing there alone. And I had been talking to myself.
It always happens in September, doesn't it? She always shows up then.
Of course, I'm never surprised when she does. I enjoy it a lot of the time, even though she drives me crazy.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" she asked me as she starred dreamily out of the window of our dorm.
"No." I said, not looking up from my work.
"I think you would."
"Why?"
"Because the air would be nice."
"I need to finish my homework."
"So? You've got all weekend."
If it were me telling her that, I would have been yelling. But of course she never yelled. Ever. Never! It amused me how calm and monotone he always was.
"Go for a walk?" she asked again. I looked up from my work and at her. She smiled, so of course I smiled back.
"Yes, lets go for a walk," I said, closing my book. She nodded at me and smiled.
I hadn't seen her all summer, and I was gratefull. But now that school started, I saw her everyday. Everyday ... and she annoyed me. She would never go away. Never! Ever!
"I've been wondering," she said as we walked around the lake. It was unusually cold for September and I felt goosebumps form on my arms. Or maybe it was just her sending chills down my spine..
"What .." I asked almost immediatly.
"I have been wondering," she repeated. Of course, she could just do that. Just STOP after mystifying me like that. I blinked.
"What have you been wondering?" I responded to her un-finished statement.
"What... what would it be like to be insane?" I she asked.
I didn't look at her. Of course, she ALWAYS asked these questions!! It wasn't even a question though.. just a statement. She wasn't asking me...
"I don't know," I said.
"Who was it that wrote, "Isn't it joyous to be insane?!" she asked me.
"My ex-boyfriend wrote that to me in a letter, I scrunched my nose. "I didn't know you read that letter."
"No .. it was someone else.. someone famous maybe?" she asked me.
"Probably... he was never one for original statements," I smiled at my own ditty. He would have called me bitter for saying that.
"You're bitter," she said, turning on me.
"About what??" I raised my voice.
I walked quicker in response.
"See..?"
"I'm not bitter."
"So what about insanity? Whats it like, Alicia?"
I still didn't answer.
"Why aren't you answering?"
"Because I don't know the answer.."
"I think you do. You're very smart you know."
"And that instantly makes me know about insanity."
"Perhaps."
"Why are you asking ME?"
"Because I want to know... I mean, why isit so popular?"
"Popular?!"
"Yes, everyone is obsessed with it.."
"Insanity is the backbone to humanity."
"Look, you're a poet and you don't know it!"
"Shut up."
"Alright.."
We kept walking. I was officially in a disgustingly bad mood.
"So.. whats it like?"
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!" I screamed at her, my voice echoing. A few owls fled the scene from their perch in the trees of the Forbiden forest.
And yet she still grin slightly. Her smile never changed. Her face never changed. Always that same faraway grin..
"What about Ophelia?"
"Ophelia who...?" I finally answered after about a minute.
"You know... from Hamlet? She was crazy, right?"
"That... is the assumption..." I said slowly.
"You don't think she was," she accused me.
"Just because you go around singing senseless songs and dancing about and talking to imaginary people doesn't mean you're insane," I responded quickly.
"Is that what she did?"
"You should know.. we read the book."
"We did."
"I'm not insane," I finally said to her. I know now thats all she wanted to hear from me.
"Aren't you though?"
And I was startled to find that I was standing there alone. And I had been talking to myself.
