Ptolemy's Apartment

Ptolemy's apartment is the primary setting for the novel. The apartment is located in Los Angeles, California. Ptolemy has lived here by himself ever since the death of his second wife Sensia, over a decade prior to the narrative present. Reggie is the only friend or family member who visits Ptolemy. The rest of the time, Ptolemy sits in the apartment by himself, listing to the radio, watching television, and drifting into his memories and dreams.

Whenever anyone knocks on the door or rings the bell, Ptolemy is hesitant to answer. After a local drug addict named Melinda robbed Ptolemy, Reggie told Ptolemy not to let anyone in.

Because Ptolemy is 91 years old and has so little connection with the outside world, his apartment is squalid. The space is filled with hoarded objects, boxes, trash, bugs, and a foul odor. Desperate to hide from his memories and...