Trystan

I give to you a story in eleventy-one words

hey man. that’s what Trystan wrote. after twenty years. the person to whom he wrote, Bill, wrote howdy in return. a careful choice. ‘hi’ seemed too curt. ‘hey’ felt like parroting. ‘what’s up’ asked a question he didn’t want answered. ‘howdy’ has a playful lilt, an unassuming gesticulatory quality sans handiness.

how’ve you been? the dreaded ‘how are you’ conjugated into the present perfect with a dollop of nostalgia to make it seem like he cared. (he didn’t). doin well, wrote the cautious Bill; he courageously fought the urge to add, ‘and you.’

thats good. an unapostrophed response that can spell the death knell of a chat. or so Bill hoped.