Office Visit: Routine Maintenance
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"No."
"You are being dishonest with yourself. If you did not want to talk to me, you would not have come."
Silence.
"I will not force words from you. I will not demand that you speak. I will not become your enemy, forcing you to reveal your secrets. I merely listen."
Silence.
"Will we sit this way for the entire time you are here? I do not mind, I simply wish to know, so as to prepare."
"I hate you."
"Possibly."
"I hate phones."
Silence.
"I hate..."
"Do you really? Or do you only want to?"
"You think it's pleasant to feel this way?"
"I think you could rid yourself of it. I think you do not wish to do so."
"I hate you."
"I understand."
"Those two words made me hate you more."
"I think you believe you do not deserve to be happy."
"I think you're full of shit."
"Perhaps."
"Why do you do this? Why do you sit around waiting for secrets to pour out? Do you get off on the power?"
"I have only as much power as you allow me to have. I do not wish to control you. Only to listen."
"Fuck you. I have nothing to say."
"Contrarily, you speak volumes. Would you like me to forget that you have told me you hate me?"
Silence.
"I could forget that you began to tell me about a moment wherein a person on a phone caused you pain."
Silence.
"I could forget anything you ask me to forget."
"No. You can't. You can only choose to never say it again. But you won't forget. Not like he does."
Silence.
"I hate talking to him. Because I know he'll forget everything I say."
Silence.
"And it makes me feel like I don't matter."
Silence.
"And I'm supposed to matter more to him than being drunk."
Silence.
"I'm his daughter. I should be more important than drugs. He should listen to me."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
She gets up and leaves.
"No."
"You are being dishonest with yourself. If you did not want to talk to me, you would not have come."
Silence.
"I will not force words from you. I will not demand that you speak. I will not become your enemy, forcing you to reveal your secrets. I merely listen."
Silence.
"Will we sit this way for the entire time you are here? I do not mind, I simply wish to know, so as to prepare."
"I hate you."
"Possibly."
"I hate phones."
Silence.
"I hate..."
"Do you really? Or do you only want to?"
"You think it's pleasant to feel this way?"
"I think you could rid yourself of it. I think you do not wish to do so."
"I hate you."
"I understand."
"Those two words made me hate you more."
"I think you believe you do not deserve to be happy."
"I think you're full of shit."
"Perhaps."
"Why do you do this? Why do you sit around waiting for secrets to pour out? Do you get off on the power?"
"I have only as much power as you allow me to have. I do not wish to control you. Only to listen."
"Fuck you. I have nothing to say."
"Contrarily, you speak volumes. Would you like me to forget that you have told me you hate me?"
Silence.
"I could forget that you began to tell me about a moment wherein a person on a phone caused you pain."
Silence.
"I could forget anything you ask me to forget."
"No. You can't. You can only choose to never say it again. But you won't forget. Not like he does."
Silence.
"I hate talking to him. Because I know he'll forget everything I say."
Silence.
"And it makes me feel like I don't matter."
Silence.
"And I'm supposed to matter more to him than being drunk."
Silence.
"I'm his daughter. I should be more important than drugs. He should listen to me."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
She gets up and leaves.