The woman feared she was losing her sense of smell and, perhaps more importantly, feared she would thus lose her ability to determine what her home smelled like and whether her home smelled bad — did the trash stink? Did the litter box need changed? Was there food moldering in the disposal? She purchased many scented candles to mask the odors she worried she used to be able to smell but that she could only imagine now. When guests visited, some wondered why she burned so many candles, and wondered what she must have smelled to make her burn so many candles, and consequently wondered what they were supposed to smell, or not supposed to smell; but fewer among them wondered what the woman didn’t smell, or what she imagined she smelled but didn’t actually smell, or what she imagined she might not smell but that her guests might actually smell, or what she imagined she might not smell but that her guests might not actually smell either but could possibly smell.

Candace Nimms
08 05 20