“Cleaned out the cellar.” I led my guest into the nook 11
off the kitchen. There was a round maple table there with 12
three chairs. The window looked out into a stone yard, 13
fenced in by vine-covered trellises. The ground was tiled 14
with broad slabs of mossy granite plates. Sunlight dap-15
pled in through the slat roof.
16
I thought such a beautiful sight would jack up any price 17
that the white man was willing to pay. But he barely no-18
ticed the view.
19
“Do you want some cola or lemonade?” I had shopped 20
for this meeting. I also had crackers, French bread, and 21
Parma ham if he was hungry.
22
“No, thank you,” he said without gratitude. “Can we 23
see the cellar now?”
24
I led him out the back door and to the entrance in the 25
ground. I threw the trapdoor open and stepped aside, indi-26
cating that he should go first. I’d left the light on so he would 27 S
have no trouble descending the stairs. But he hesitated, 28 R
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The Man in My Basement
even took a step backward. Then, with a visible force of 1
will, he steeled himself and walked down the sixteen stairs.
2
I followed.
3
He glanced furtively from one corner to the other, then 4
up to the ceiling and back to the stairs. He squinted but 5
the light wasn’t bright. He clapped his hands together, 6
took a deep breath.
7
I said, “Cellar’s got running water, but there’s no toilet 8
down there, Mr. —”
9
“First let me tell you,” he interrupted, “that I have par-10
ticular requests. I want to rent this cellar for sixty-five 11
days, starting on July one. I will remain here for the whole 12
time, and I expect no one to enter except for you. You will 13
prepare and bring food and you will dispose of any mate-14
rials that need disposing of. Everything else I need will be 15
delivered two weeks before I am due to arrive. With that 16
will come instructions for any construction necessary.”
17
“So you want me to be your cook and butler?”
18
“Not exactly, but that’s close enough to the truth.”
