The Alley, Part 1

From a plan view, imagine eight small backyards, four opposite four. The gates face each other, though they are not all of uniform height, so some you can see over the top of, some you cannot. A narrow alleyway, which can accommodate two people abreast of each other, separates the gates, many of which are used as front doors that accessed the living room through French doors. Most are left open, revealing the sounds of clinking forks against plates, and other, more intimate noises one pretends remain private. Floating into the shared space of the alley and crossing over into the privacy of another neighbor.

            The upstairs bathroom looked down into the opposite neighbor’s backyard. Our townhome was refitted for the owner’s daughter. Special wood-framed windows that swung in and were not controlled by a crank. I opened it and again saw him sitting outside, with a plate fork and knife on a cheap outdoor table and with a book on his lap.