Recapitulation: Armed with Mr. Waller’s three rules to a successful marriage, Barry is ready to make another attempt at reconciliation with Jenna, despite the false nature of their relationship, and their tenuous business relationship/grave robbing plans.
Door locked, enclosing silence. Barry rapped on the door with his knuckles. He heard footsteps shuffle to the door, then footsteps shuffle away. Then, a commercial for car insurance, with dogs barking in the background of that commercial. He wanted to leave and hit a hotel for the night, but Mr. Waller stood at the top of the stairs, barring his way and waving at him. He seemed to be mouthing something, “Do it?” Barry couldn’t tell, but now he had to go through the motions, like a monkey on a unicycle.
“Jenna, please, let me in, we can talk it out. Look, I’m sorry about what I did. Sorry about everything. It was a cruel thing to do, and I didn’t think you’d react that badly.” He took a breath. “I thought you were more cold hearted than that. I didn’t expect you to be so compassionate, and I didn’t think it was a bad thing to do.
“Tomorrow is a scary thing. I don’t know what’s going to happen, or why we’re doing it, or what could go wrong, or right. Please, it’s been a long time since I ever had to be polite. I spend most of my time around dead people and grave diggers. They don’t exactly care much about things that are going on around them. You do, and it was completely unexpected. I don’t know you as well as I should, but I want to get to know you. Please, let me in.”
The volume dulled. A muffled voice from behind the door. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, just please let me back in. We can work it out, we can work it out. Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting.”
“Take off your clothes.”
“Excuse me, dear, I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“Take off your clothes. If you’re serious, take off your clothes.”
“I can’t believe you’re serious.” Barry covered the peephole, turned to Mr. Waller. Mr. Waller shrugged his massive shoulders, waved at him again. Now he was mouthing, “Do it.”
“What’s this going to prove?” Barry took his hand off the door, peered through the hole, saw nothing.
“That you’re serious. Take your clothes off. I’m not going to say it again.”
Really, what could he do? Barry stepped far enough out of frame, then pointed his index finger downward, spun it in a circle. Mr. Waller pointed at Barry, grabbed his jacket, mimed taking it off, then formed an X in front of him with his arms, linked at the wrists. Barry waved off Mr. Waller, pushing the air with an open palm, then pointing down the stairs. Mr. Waller shimmied back and forth, nearly slapping the staircase with his body, then turned around and sat down on the top step. Thank goodness he didn’t wear jeans, otherwise this would be the prime opportunity to witness his mighty crack.
He looked all around, then at the door across from his apartment. Who lived in there? Three years in this building, and they’d never met. Well. He stepped into the frame, slowly took off his clothing. Looked down at his belly, the middle-aged belly pregnant not with child, but with a desperate longing for something more, something different, something that didn’t involve disrobing in his apartment building hallway to appease his child-not wife. A last, shamed look before taking off his boxers, the waistband detaching and worn down.
Barry folded everything, crisp and straight, then stacked it all in front of the door. “Alright, I’m done.”
“I can see that.” The door opened, Jenna pulled the pile of clothes in, then slammed the door again.
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