Dalih Sembiring, translated by Avram Maurits
Published as a part of Asymptote Journal – January 2023, Jan 19, 2023
Originally published in Horison, Dec 01, 2006
Weims / Asymptote
The old man’s hands were no longer shaking as he bashed the hammer into the right of his jaw, his chin, and the left of his jaw, before he ran amok and smashed his head into the wall, leaving blood full of bits of skin and cranium. For the past two weeks his teeth and gums had hurt as if they were pierced with needles. Great pain sent thuds to his head.
He tried to sleep face up, face down, butt up or sitting down, nursing his cheeks and shaking his head, bearing the surges of unforgiving pain. “It huuuuurts . . . fuuuuuck! Fuuuuuck. Ahhhhh . . . fuuuuuck,” he cursed the pain in his mouth. Sometimes in yelps, sometimes in hushed squeaks like those of a mouse.
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