7
8
9
10
11
12
13
I brought him breakfast and didn’t unlock the cage, so C 14
he could stay for at least the day. Maybe I’d free him that 15
evening — that’s what I thought.
16
He wanted to talk more, but I refused. Just the few hints 17
at the violence and pain he had caused set off a shaking in-18
side me. I wandered around the floor of my house; then I 19
tried to read a book. My mouth was producing too much 20
saliva, and I had to swallow and spit continually. I had gas 21
pains relieved only by foul-smelling farts. My fingers and 22
toes felt numb. My teeth hurt at the gums.
23
I was scared to death. I felt like a man riding an ava-24
lanche; it was only a matter of time before I’d be plowed 25
under and crushed.
26
I wanted my mother or father. Even a bad word from S 27
R 28
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ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 222
Walter Mosley
1
Uncle Brent would have been a relief from my fears. I 2
went to the liquor cabinet but couldn’t stomach the idea 3
of drinking.
4
Finally I sat down on the floor in the middle of the liv-5
ing room and closed my eyes. It was something I had 6
done when I was a small boy. When everything got too 7
exciting, I’d sit on the floor and think about the shadows 8
on my eyelids. On a sunny day the darks and lights, the 9
blues, grays, and reds that appeared behind closed eyes 10
were like the ocean. I imagined myself as a little octopus, 11
seeing the sea world and feeling safe because I had so 12
many arms. Sometimes I’d make up little songs, hum-13
ming a tune about nothing and floating in the ocean 14
among fishes and sea kings.
15
I had crossed over from turmoil to childish ecstasy by 16
the time the doorbell rang. I don’t know how long I had 17
been sitting, but my feet were asleep and it was painful 18
and slow for me to rise. I didn’t know how long the bell 19
had been ringing either, but it stopped before I could 20
