Not much escapes me, which is quite something when you take into account I’ve been blind since birth. You want an example? Okay. Take my brother’s throat clearing when his wife walks into the room. He’s probably having an affair. And before I hear a sniffle, I know Jenny’s coming down with something. Kafka said the world freely offers itself to you to be unmasked—if, I’ll add—you know where to look. That’s a joke, by the way. Same thing when I say: ‘See here, Jenny,’ or ‘I’ll keep an eye out for that, Jenny.’ Jenny’s my roommate. She’d been staying with Ersy, her best friend from Starno High, while scouting for a place after a break-up. She initially worried about living with a blind guy, though I heard her whisper to Ersy after that first visit that she could walk around naked and I’d never know. But of course I would. It’s subtle, but I hear what people are wearing. Pretty quickly, we had our routines. Mornings, I made coffee while she read something to …

The Giant wore a T-shirt that said, Clarion Clothing, Est. 1980. I already felt somewhat small before speaking to the Giant but mustered up my courage and opened my mouth. After all, I’d climbed to the top of the hill beside the playground and now had a treasured one-on-one audience with him. The Giant glared at me, a wordless warning that whatever I had to say better be significant. I pointed at his shirt. “You’d think that they would know the exact year,” I said. The Giant furrowed his brow; I had successfully confused him—I felt proud. “What do you mean?” he said. “You know,” I said, “It is only 1993. 1980 is recent enough that you’d think they wouldn’t have to estimate it, that they’d know for certain.” The creases in the Giant’s face turned from confusion to mirth, to ridicule. He bellowed forth a laugh that shook the very ground upon which I stood. His voice seemed to echo within the great cavern of his mouth, and I could feel the bass notes …

“I picked an outside table. The coffee is good here and the street is quiet. Please sit down. I’ve something important to tell you, so don’t start scrolling on that cell phone you’ve hidden in your lap. “You needn’t turn away. I caught that smile. I’ll keep it short. “He’s returned. I saw him yesterday. It’s now beyond doubt that the boating accident where his body was never recovered was a ruse, a ploy, an escape. I’ve always suspected it, in spite of what you wanted me to believe. “You’re shaking your head. I know. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him, but the others were years ago and fleeting. This time I’m absolutely sure it’s him. “There’s the smile again. Don’t mock me. I followed him long enough to be certain. His looks have changed with age, of course, but I recognized that cocky gait, the odd tilt of his head, the way his hands move when he walks, and that sweatshirt with the tattered neckline he loved wearing at the lake. He …