“— but many of the dealers are around here and so I’ll 1
probably start getting something in a month to six weeks.”
2
I wondered how soon the bank would move in to try 3
to foreclose on the bad debt. I was already more than a 4
month late in my payments. I needed at least twelve hun-5
dred dollars to get the debtors off my back. For a moment 6
I wondered if I could get an advance from Narciss. It was 7
worth a try, but I couldn’t get the words out. I didn’t want 8
her to see me begging.
9
“It’s a little late for dinner,” I said. “I’m tired from all of 10
this work. Can we make it the day you come for photo-11
graphs?”
12
The momentary shadow of sadness across her face 13
made me glad that I hadn’t asked for the advance.
14
“Oh sure,” she said. “I understand. This kind of work is 15
exhausting not only physically but also in your heart.”
16
She reached out and curled her long finger around my 17
forearm. It was meant to be supportive and it was suc-18
cessful.
19
“Mr. Blakey?”
20
“Uh-huh.”
21
“Keep the masks with you for a while. For at least a year.”
22
“Don’t you want to study them? To figure out how old 23
they are and where they’re from?”
24
“It’s more important that you keep something that has 25
your roots in it. You should sleep next to them and feel 26
their presence. No amount of study will take the place of S 27
your family’s heart.”
R 28
3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 68
Walter Mosley
1
She leaned forward. I could feel the breath from her 2
nostrils on my arm. The way she looked at me held a 3
question, a request. I knew it was her desire for me to 4
keep the masks, but that wish called up another whole 5
feeling in me.
6
She moved back and whispered, “You’re a sweet man.”
