”“So you paid her off and she left you, too,” I sighed. “I could end up in the same position.”“You could,” he said. “I finished paying...my wife off fifteen years ago. But I never stopped paying her. She thinks the monthly payments are still paying the initial settlement. Maybe that’s my guilt talking.”“You’ve made fifteen years of monthly payments above and beyond your divorce settlement and she doesn’t realize it? I find that hard to believe,” I scoffed. What kind of an airhead did he marry in. We each carried our wine glasses as she led me back through the main hall of the house. She turned and entered the parlor and crossed to what looked like a coat closet door. She opened it and led me inside. She turned on the lights and waited to see what my expression revealed. Before me, unlike the studio bedroom, was a simple room painted white. Her curtains, upholstery and bed linens were all gingham and lace. A plain white cotton gown was draped over the chair by her dressing table. ‘This. “Yes Bwana, they will return for slaves and ivory and the horn of the rhino. It is their way to take everything by force.”“Then we must dissuade then like we did at the gorge, my friend,” David murmured.“That was only a small band, Bwana. They come in big canoes and then once on land they break up into bands and go in different directions, returning to the canoes to load the slaves and ivory. Some of the tribes give them ivory to leave them alone.”“Then we must give them lead and steel to leave. I knew just enough information about my fictitious brother that after pondering her decision she finally agreed to let me in. As we walked up the stairs to the second floor apartment my heart started racing. The nice little old landlady unlocked and opened the door. I went in remarking that bro still had the same couch as before so it seemed like I belonged, thanked my perpetrator and my breaking and entering was complete! Looking all around I took in all the sights and thought about everything.