There was a black man standing outside of James’ house. It was a little after ten in the evening, and James noticed the man from his kitchen window. He was drinking cold tap water, watching, and he could not figure it out. The man outside stood motionless in a t-shirt and sweatpants, his back to James, and James watched him and drank three full glasses. For as long as James drank, the man stood there, and was still standing there, on the pavement, when James finished and went upstairs.
James sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes.
There’s a black man outside.
Really, his wife asked.She layed in her usual spot, reading. Her eyes heavy from an Ambien nightcap. What’s he doing?
Nothing. Just standing.
Is he…what, watching our house?
No, nothing like that. He’s on the sidewalk, facing the street. He might be watching the Maynard’s house, but I doubt it. It didn’t seem like it.
How do you mean?
It looked like he was waiting for something.
Waiting for something?
Yeah. Something.
Like what?
I don’t know. I don’t even know if he’s waiting. It’s like when all those people downtown are forced to wait for the bus.He’s like one of them.
Is he still there?
James stood and walked to the window. He did not know why, but for a moment he was hesitant to look. He broke the blinds with his fingers and squinted through the narrow opening.The pavement was empty, the man gone.
No, James said. He left.
You should go check the doors. Make sure they’re locked.
They’re locked.
Double check. Please.
Fine. Okay.
James checked the front door, then the sliding glass doors which led to the patio out back. He entered the kitchen, took a glass from the drying rack and filled it with tap water. Goddamn, that ham was salty as hell. He looked out the window and stared at the spot the black man had been standing. Shadows of tree branches thick with leaves twisted and danced across pavement and street. He drank his water.
Upstairs, James laid next to his wife, the book on her chest, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow.
Everything’s okay, he said.
She did not respond.
–Art by Milan Vopálenský & Esmahan Özkan