Cockroaches

Cockroaches appear both as a persistent nuisance in the office kitchen and as the subject of a moment of unexpected distress. The diary records a failed attempt to repel them with a crystal, then later describes killing one as a trauma that left the diarist feeling terrible.

The Office Infestation

A crystal kept in the office kitchen is not working as intended: it still is not repelling the cockroaches. Vincent reports that they even run around the clock inside the stove, beneath the glass. The diarist plans to take the crystal back to Bernsohn, making the infestation part of an ongoing effort to find a remedy rather than a single passing sighting.

A Distressing Encounter

In a later entry, the diarist reports killing a cockroach and describes the act as a very big trauma, followed by feeling terrible. The brief account gives no further explanation, but its contrast with the practical office complaint is striking: the insects are at once a recurring household-like nuisance and the occasion for an intense personal reaction.