ﺃﺳﺄﻝ: "ﻳﺎ ﺻﺎﺣﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺖ ﺍﻵﺧﺮ.ﻳﺎ ﻣﺎﻟﻜﱵ. ﺇﻧﻲ ﺃﲤﺰﻕ ﰲ ﺍﻟﻈﹼﻠﻤﺎﺀ ﻭﺣﻴﺪﺍ. ﺇﻧﻲ ﺃﻋﻮﻱ". ﻭﳚﻲﺀ ﺍﻟﺼﻮﺕ: "ﻣﺎﺫﺍ ﺗﻄﻠﺐ ﻣﻨﻚ ﺍﻣﺮﺃﺓ ﰲ ﻧﺼﻒ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻴﻞ؟".ﻭﺃﲰﻊ ﻃﺮﻗﺎ ﻓﻮﻕ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺏ ﺧﻔﻴﻔﺎ ﻳﺸﺒﻪ ﻃﺮﻕ ﺍﻣﺮﺃﰐ. ﺃﺗﺴﺎﺀﻝ: "ﻫﻞ ﺃﻓﺘﺢ؟".ﻭﺃﺩﻳﺮ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﺏ .ﻭﺗﺪﺧﻞ ﺻﺎﺣﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺖ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﱄ .ﺗﺴﺄﻟﲏ ﻋﻦ ﻛﻠﻤﺎﺕ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻟﻮﺻﻒ ﺍﻟﻨﺠﻤﺔ ،ﻋﻦ ﺃﻭﻝ ﺃﻳﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻒ ،ﻋﻦ ﺷﺠﺮ ﻣﻜﺴﻮﺭ ﻗﺮﺏ ﺑﺮﻭﻕ ﺍﻷﻣﺲ ،ﻋﻦ ﺭﺣﻢ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻭﻟﻮﺩﺍ ،ﻭﺗﺴﺄﻝ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ ﻋﻨﻲ .ﻭﲤﻀﻲ ﻛﺎﻟﻄﹼﻴﻒ ﺍﻟﻀﺎﺋﻊ ﰲ ﺻﺒﻮﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻴﻞ .ﺃﺗﺄﻣﻞ ﰲ ﺍﻟﺼﻤﺖ ﺧﻄﺎﻫﺎ. ﻭﺃﻗﻮﻝ: "ﻛﻼﻧﺎ ﻳﺮﻓﻞ ﰲ ﻣﺎﺀ ﺍﳌﻮﺕ ﻭﺣﻴﺪﺍ ،ﻳﺎ ﺳﻴﺪﰐ.ﻭﻛﻼﻧﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻌﺮﻑ ﻏﲑ ﺣﺮﻳﺮ ﺍﻟﻮﺣﺪﺓ ﻭﺍﻷﺳﻔﺎﺭ".
71