wilma hurskainen

I can no longer reach her voice. I remember the words at the end of a call, always the same: ‘bye now, bye’. But it is my voice, or that of a narrator, not her, that utters those words. However, I can clearly hear the click at the end of the call. Why does that sound remain and not her voice? I was almost offended that I was not allowed to take her picture. I tried to photograph her secretly, but she always dodged. In the only enlargement that I have she was serious, frozen, like someone else. I saw her body before the funeral. That was also someone else, something nonessential. I was relieved. There are no pictures of her. I cannot reach her voice. I think about that empty spot every day.