“No. I don’t have the luxury of a god. But what I do 2
have is not contagious.”
3
“Come again?”
4
“In the eyes of the world, Mr. Dodd-Blakey, I am an 5
upright and innocent man. My time here with you would 6
be seen merely as an eccentricity. You can collect my 7
money and serve me dry sandwiches and Kool-Aid. No 8
one will blame you or indict you for the crimes that I rec-9
ognize as my own.”
10
“That’s just a lot of talk, Mr. Bennet. I think that it’s 11
crazy what you’re doing, but I took your money, so I’ll 12
hold up my side of the bargain. But don’t you think that 13
I’m gonna be a part of all this crazy talk. I’ll bring you 14
your meals and whatever else I have to do. But I don’t like 15
it and I’ll put you out of here in a minute if anything gets 16
to be too much for me.”
17
I don’t know how he felt about that because I left before 18
he could engage me anymore. Outside the cellar I began 19
to sweat. My heart was pounding and my ears rang. In-20
side my chest there was laughter, but the mirth could not 21
make its way to my lips. It came as a throbbing rumble 22
that might have been pleasant if it had an outlet.
23
I stumbled to the house, up to my room. There I sat on 24
the old maple bed, thinking about Brent and all the mean 25
things he had said to me. I imagined him walking down 26
the halls in his slow shuffling pace. I thought about him 27 S
cursing the summer for its heat and the winter for cold. I 28 R
hated his smell and scratchy voice.
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ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 133
The Man in My Basement
I could almost hear him, his wheezing through those 1
last dying days.
2
Ears ringing, heart pumping, chest throbbing, and 3
sweat dripping, I tried to rise above my body, hoped for 4
my spirit to transcend grief.
5
It was grief I felt. Deep sadness that no mother or god 6
could calm. I hated Anniston Bennet, hated him. I blamed 7
him for everything that was wrong with me. His damned 8
money and smirks.
9
10
11
