The Wall

6

Thembinkosi quietly shut the door behind them.

“Everything okay with the lock?” Nozipho asked.

“Yep. Even if someone comes and unlocks it, they won’t notice anything.”

The two of them stood at a window and gazed out. Established practice. First, make sure that nobody has noticed you, then search the house. Usually, time was on their side.

A compact drove past outside.

“I don’t like these clothes,” Nozipho said.

“But they’re helpful.”

“You really don’t think anybody suspected?”

“Not at all.”

“I still don’t like the smock. I look like a cleaning lady.”

“That was the whole idea!”

“Uh-huh… Do you remember the time we hired that white man?” Nozipho asked. “With the two of us as his servants?”

“Yes, it was a good idea. Too bad the white guy didn’t fit the type.”

“We bought him those new clothes.”

“And he still managed to look like a homeless person.”

“He was a homeless person. But it was a good idea.”

“It was a fabulous idea.” Thembinkosi broke off. “But honestly, he didn’t really act like a white man.”

“Why do you think that was?”

“What do you know about class differences?”

“Come on. Don’t start in on…”

“I think that was our mistake. We hired a poor white man.”

“But a rich one wouldn’t have done it.”

“Exactly. We should have analyzed the situation better. Our mistake.”

“Should we go ahead and start?”