was working out — that’s what I thought at the time.
18
“Can I call you later to see if you’ve changed your 19
mind?” he asked.
20
“You can call all you want,” I said, regretting the words 21
as they came out of my mouth. “But I’m not renting any-22
thing to anybody.”
23
“Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Blakey.” The 24
white man smiled and shook my hand just as if I had said 25
yes to him. “That’s my office number in Manhattan on 26
the card. I’d give you my home phone, but I work more 27 S
than anything else. I hope I’ll be hearing from you. If not 28 R
I will certainly call again.”
3rd Pass Pages
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The Man in My Basement
Before I could say anything else, the little man turned 1
away and walked down to a Volkswagen, the new Bug, 2
parked at the curb. It was a turquoise car that reminded 3
me of an iridescent seven-year beetle.
4
He made a U-turn and sped away.
5
Across the street Irene Littleneck was watching from 6
her porch.
7
“Everything okay, Mr. Blakey?” she called.
8
“Just a salesman, Miss Littleneck.”
9
“What’s he sellin’?”
10
“I didn’t even get to that,” I lied. “You don’t buy if 11
you’re unemployed.”
12
Irene Littleneck, eighty years old and black as tar, 13
flashed her eyes at me. All the way across the road those 14
yellow eyes called me a liar. So I turned my back on them 15
and went into the house.
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