the last book I ever read (Domenico Starnone's Trick, excerpt seven)

from Trick by Domenico Starnone (Translated from the Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri):

The child studied me attentively.

--Are you sick?

--A little, I’m old. The cold and the rain can make me sick.

--And die?

--Yes.

--When will you die?

--Soon.

--My dad says when mean people die you don’t have to be sorry.

--I’m not mean, I’m distracted.

--Even though you’re distracted I’ll cry when you die.

--No, your dad said you don’t need to feel sorry.

--I’ll still cry.