From Written in Stone © 2006 A. Jones Across the Hall (from Written in Stone) Srinivas has a problem with the tea. After he puts the milk on to heat in the morning, he must go and brush his teeth. By the time he is done the milk has boiled over and burned on the stove. The pan has left a dark circle on the counter. I tell him either he must brush his teeth in the kitchen or put the milk on medium heat. Srinivas has locked himself out again, and must cross over from my balcony to his to get in through the slider. There is a burned spot on his carpet in the shape of an iron. He asks if he can borrow my vacuum. When he returns it, it is gritty and scuffed and the bag is full. Srinivas designed his own college major in Bombay and manages a team of people at a large company. He is extremely literate and computer savvy, and will sing Hindu love poems on request. He supports his family by sending money home. His mother is supremely proud of her eldest son and calls him after a nickname of Ganesh. I wonder if she knows he’s been evicted for, once again, leaving the bathroom fan on to annoy the upstairs neighbor for three weeks while he goes home to India.