-how r u?
-i'm fine, thanks.
-... i'm really asking how r u?
-i'm fine, thanks.
-okay. is it bearable?
-no, not yet. but i know, at some point, it will become bearable.
-and till then?
-i don't know. i don't have all the answers. (pause) but, probably, i just sit in my chair and write a book.