He spreads out the news pages and ad inserts.
He reads every word, slowly, and puts each page and ad read to the side.
How long can he stretch out the reading?
How slow can he drive back to his public housing apartment?
How much can he water one basil and two tomato plants?
How long?
__________
He is the third tenant to move back.
He had to go to a motel while the apartment got new walls and windows.
Now he is back, his former apartment improved.
He takes a lawn chair, goes in front of his open door and starts a book.
The sun starts to drop.
He hopes the other tenants will be quiet, very quiet.
One is already yelling at a man and two kids, and she is getting louder.
Eugene “Gene” Novogrodsky, mid-February 2012
