how to hold, and so many piles of old clothes that I could 21
only make a stab at separating them. Tuxedos and jeans, 22
fancy dresses and all kinds of undergarment straps, dried-23
up elastics, and buckles. Most of the clothes looked like 24
they could have been for children, but it was just that I 25
had a long line of short people in my family. My parents 26
were only the second generation of big Blakeys. I’m six S 27
foot two. My father was six one.
R 28
3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 54
Walter Mosley
1
I moved all the furniture out of the living room and 2
brought in the loot, piling it in each of the corners ac-3
cording to type. When the job was done, I sat in the wide 4
seat of the bay window to appreciate my labor.
5
I liked hard work. A big pile of stones that need to be 6
moved, a field to plow. What I love is a big job that takes 7
muscle and stick-to-itiveness. I’m not into a lot of details 8
or measuring or comparing. I don’t want to build a steam 9
engine; just give me a sledgehammer or a shovel and I can 10
work all day long, all month if I have to.
11
12
13
“Hello?” The voice came from the front door, which was 14
open. “Mr. Blakey?”
15
I had been asleep. The room around me was dim be-16
cause there was no light on and the sun was setting out-17
side.
18
“Mr. Blakey?” She was tall and thin, brittle looking on 19
first glance. That was probably because she was so tenta-20
tive coming into a stranger’s home.
21
“Over here,” I said. My voice was heavy from sleep, but 22
there was a quality to it that was different. I don’t know if 23
you want to call it musical or assured or maybe mature, 24
like a man.
25
“Charles Blakey?” the tall woman asked.
26
“Yeah. And I guess you’re Narciss Gully.”
27 S
Hearing her name calmed the skittish woman a bit.
28 R
