I came home late last night, and as I went through the deserted lobby to check my mail I noticed light pouring through the clear plexiglass doors of our mailboxes. Someone had not only left a light on; they’d also left the rear door to the boxes open, giving any interested spectator a glimpse of the room beyond.

I’ve wondered about what the room behind my mailbox looked like - the door to the room is right next to the bank of boxes, and it’s an intriguing door. Obviously original to the building (c. 1920), it’s relatively short and narrow, with a worn brass knob and a lock that cries out for one of those gangly old keys. Best of all, it’s inset with a full-length antique mirror with beveled edges. It’s the kind of door you’d send a kid through if you wanted to write a story with twitchy little waistcoat-wearing satyrs, or hookah-smoking caterpillars. If that kind of thing hadn’t already been done, I mean.

So naturally I had to peer through the boxes. I couldn’t see much more than a brightly lit, bare concrete wall. Disappointing, really, until I saw this note taped to the wall:

Hey Bub -

Take your rubberbands, pop cans, etc. with you when you leave.

Thanks : )

Except, of course, the smiley face wasn’t sideways.

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but the first thing I thought when I read it was, Wolverine is our new apartment manager. And he signs his notes with smiley faces. Huh.