Melinda Keathley

My stories have been featured in Memphis Magazine, The Dillydoun Review, and East of the Web. I earned my BA in History and MA in English Literature from the University of Memphis. I've been writing stories, songs, and poems all my life, but only recently summoned the courage to share them with strangers. You can learn more about me and find links to my work at my website.

The Tenant

When the doorbell rang, Shelley looked at the grandfather clock, wiped her mouth and hands with her napkin, placed her plate in her lap, and with one fluid motion reversed and turned her wheelchair out from the kitchen table. She rolled (the term she most often used to reference her method of self-propulsion) to the sink where she placed the plate to be loaded in the dishwasher later. It was 8:45 a.m. The showing was early, but Shelley appreciated the potential tenant’s punctuality.