Out the living room window to my right, the windows which had shone briefly as the sun grazed across their surfaces, were now lit up from the inside in a yellow light akin to that of their earlier reflections, though much less intense.
I swung my legs around underneath me and leaned forward on the back cushion of the sofa, placing my chin on my forearms. Most of the windows in the apartment building directly across from me were illuminated and showed signs of activity. As usual, the majority of the tenants had left their blinds open in a clear display of lifestyle and trust that had surprised me when I first moved into the apartment. Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and sometimes even bedrooms were all clearly visible through the large windows facing into the alley.
Night after night I had sat on this sofa, sometimes in the dark, but mostly not, just watching the lives of these strangers play out before me without inhibition. I used to marvel at the lack of modesty exhibited until I, too, began to leave my blinds open in the evenings and then finally all of the time.
P. and I were taken aback to see tenants strolling about their apartments in a less than dressed manner, having intimate conversations by the window and doing practically anything out in the open when it was clearly evident that other eyes could see. Yet never once did we ever catch anyone staring into our windows or violating the confidence that was required for such an arrangement. Gradually we also began to exhibit the same kinds of behavior and never gave it a second thought.
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