22
“Preparation,” he said slowly, taking time over the syl-23
lables. He indicated a pile of paraphernalia behind him.
24
Lighting, screens, rugs, and big camera boxes. “See?”
25
“Oh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Why don’t you come in here in the 26
living room?”
27 S
Geraldo lifted the great pile of materials into a rippling 28 R
embrace and carried it in. I showed him where to set up,
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The Man in My Basement
and he spent a long time with a light meter looking at 1
windows in order to find the exact right position for his 2
rugs and screens. He examined my heirlooms, holding 3
them up to the light and using his meter.
4
“Are you taking the pictures?” I asked after a lot of 5
watching.
6
The boyish smile and manly shaking of his head must 7
have broken many hearts before. “No,” he said. “Miss 8
Gully takes the pictures. I just set it up.”
9
“You work for her?”
10
“We are friends. She loves my work, my painting, and so 11
she gives me jobs when she can. I live at the house of Harry 12
Lake in East Hampton. He is my master in oils. A great 13
master. He sent for me from New York after seeing my show 14
at the Rhinoceros Gallery on Avenue A. Do you know it?”
15
“Know what?”
16
“The Rhinoceros Gallery. It is a very important place.
17
Harry found me there, and he lets me use his garage as a 18
studio and to sleep.”
19
“So how do you know Narciss?” I asked.
20
“I was walking down the street,” he said, tossing his 21
locks for effect. “Just walking and I see the most beautiful 22
quilts hanging in her window. The designs are like the 23
ones that I paint and I had to see them, touch them . . .”
24
There was a passion building up in Geraldo, and I 25
couldn’t help but wonder what all he was touching up in 26
