The Death of Davit I
Dawit I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Chief Commander of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia, Special Grade of the Order of the Propitious Clouds of China, Elect of God, was buying milk. He was trying to choose between milk with a red, blue or green top. He could not decide.
There was a man wearing a t-shirt. Dawit I asked the man which milk was the best milk.
- Depends what milk you like, said the man.
Dawit I nodded. He looked at the man and nodded. He put his fingers to his lips and looked at the milk.
Dawit I, King of Kings, Lords of Lords, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Gold Griffin of the house of Nassau of Luxembourg, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God, was sitting on his sofa. He was watching a 24-hour news channel. The woman presenter was new. She was nervous and kept making mistakes. Dawit I looked at her. She was pretty
Dawit I was eating cereal from a bowl. He had got the milk with the blue top. The milk tasted too strongly of milk. He puckered his lips after every mouthful. Half-finished, he put the bowl down.
Dawit I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martin of Argentina, Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, Elect of God, was only wearing one sock. He had no idea where the other sock had gone. He shouted upstairs to his wife,
- Have you seen my sock?
- On your foot, she replied.
Davit I muted the TV.
- It’s not on my foot.
- Oh dear, she said.
Dawit I sat forward and scanned the floor for his other sock. He saw some old telephone bills and a pack of playing cards. He saw tiny bits of thread. He saw popcorn crumbs but no sock.
Davit I got slowly onto his hands and knees. He looked under the sofa for the sock. His bare foot felt cold. He saw a folded up envelope but no sock. He saw a pencil. He could hear his wife upstairs, painting, tapping her foot to music. He let himself lay on the ground. He put his cheek to the carpet and closed his eyes and listened. He lay there for a while.
