WE ARE BUILDING A FUTURE

We are renovating the house when she asks me if I can hear what she’s saying. I lay down my tools and explain the theory of acoustics to her. She wonders if I appreciate the importance of strong foundations. I go on about concrete footings and load-bearing, my replies evaporating in the large, dusty space between us. There is so much building work to be done, and so much dead air to fill, but we are mere apprentices. So we carry on, admiring each other’s workmanship in silence.