The Wall

14

Thembinkosi was standing in the larger bedroom, looking around. He lacked ideas, inspiration. He opened a drawer in the wardrobe. Women’s underwear. Ran his fingers through the small pile. Dull, also dull. Hmm… Again, dull. And, oh… sexy. Black and pink stripes. He imagined the slip on Nozipho, and then, him taking it off of her. He stuck the lingerie in his jacket. He had no idea if his wife would actually wear a used slip, but it was definitely hot.

The next drawer held menus. The one on top seemed familiar to him. A restaurant chain that had a branch in East London. He’d eaten there once. Then, a few others he’d never heard of before. Another one whose logo seemed familiar to him. Why did people take restaurant menus home with them?

The large bedroom made a very different impression than the small one. It was stuffed with an oversized bed, two nightstands, a mirrored dresser with a marble top, and three chairs from a suite of furniture whose other pieces had to be stored somewhere else. The coverlet was turquoise. A red runner stretched across the blue carpet. How could you live with all this?

Thembinkosi lifted the mattress and ran his hand underneath it. Raised it a little more and took a look as well. Nothing. He opened the cosmetics packages in the dresser. Two shirts still sealed in their original plastic bags sat in the wardrobe. He checked these out, too. He then left the bedroom and went to the kitchen.