Isak came home one day after working with his gutters and pipes and copper sheets and sat down on a slatted kitchen chair. He did not first go into the bathroom to wash the heavy black grease from his hands or scrub out the dirt caked under his fingernails. He held his hands in front of him on the shining wood of the tabletop and rubbed his fingers together. Anyuta stared at the black grease marks and wondered if they would leave a stain. He sat there without speaking. The minutes passed.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, because he seemed to be waiting for her to speak. She sat down facing him, ready for the start of a too familiar scene.
“I was working on 17th Street today.”
“Yes, I know. That roof of Mrs. Johnsen’s. You said. The one that keeps leaking.”
“So I was working on 17th St. and I had to go over to Neptune Avenue to get some more wire.”
He paused, as though waiting for a response to this. When she did not provide one, he continued. “I saw you today. I saw you walking on Neptune Avenue. You were not alone. I saw you walking with someone on Neptune Avenue.”
Anyuta was having trouble putting together what Isak was saying. She had taken Leah to school and then come home. Later in the day she had gone out to find a chicken for dinner. Was that when he saw her? Was she on Neptune Avenue to buy the chicken? Then she remembered – the teacher from her night class. She had...
Subscribe now to keep reading
Please enter your email to log in or create a new account.