“How’s it going with my stuff ?” I asked.
26
“Great. I’ve sent out all of my inquiries and people are 27 S
starting to respond. A few serious collectors of African 28 R
American art were interested in the masks, but I told them that they were in your permanent collection.” She
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The Man in My Basement
looked at me, and there was something like pride in her 1
eyes.
2
“How much do you think we’ll get in the end?”
3
“I don’t know, maybe eighty thousand dollars.”
4
If I was in my own clothes, speaking my own words, I 5
would have probably yipped and shouted. Instead I stuck 6
my lips out and nodded.
7
“That sounds good,” I said. “Sounds like what I ex-8
pected.”
9
Narciss was happy to be appreciated. I was happy that 10
she was happy.
11
“I’ve been reading about your masks,” she said.
12
“They’re really interesting. They were used for tribal iden-13
tification, but they also were to remind their owner of 14
their home and family — their people.”
15
I was listening close enough to have repeated her words 16
but I wasn’t concerned. Her skin and fingers and figure so 17
slight that it seemed like they could be easily broken —
18
that’s what I was thinking about.
19
“You know I’m busy for the next couple of weeks,” I 20
said. “But maybe after that we could have that dinner we 21
keep missing.”
22
Miss Gully’s mind was in Africa and history and identity, 23
but I don’t think she was upset to switch over to dating.
24
“That would be nice,” she said. “You know, I’ve tried to 25
call you a few times, but there’s never been any answer.”
26
“I’ve been away some lately.”
S 27
“Oh? Where have you been?”
