Heat. Motionless heat. Nothing moving except the cars on Lake Shore Drive carrying their air conditioned passengers north and south. And the few bikers and walkers who are either doing their part to keep the earth green regardless of the warming or are just too compulsive to forgo a day of excercise when the temps soar into the 90s. Humidity wraps around my neck like a wool scarf.
A young couple embraces on a bench with their limbs intertwined. Surely they are newly in love to allow their sweaty bodies to embrace beneath the relentless sun.
It is too hot to write.
Images on a subway
Orange earrings, orange shirt, orange belt, and yes, orange shoes. Where do you buy orange shoes?
Shirt proclaims, I am a beautician, not a magician.
Doors close.
“Smoking, Littering and Eating are prohibited on CTA vehicles.”
A man is wearing a yellow hard hat— probably easier than carrying it in his hands. Or he fears falling objects.
A bespectacled female dozes off, her head snaps back against the window. She dozes on as her head rolls to the right. The blonde woman to her right looks sideways at the stranger dozing. Her eyes say it all— ‘surely this stranger isn’t going to put her head on my shoulder!’ The sleeper jerks her head upright, her eyes remain closed. Again, the sleeper’s head falls to the right. The blonde broadens and shifts her shoulders to accidentally graze the sleeper. The sleepers head rights itself, but her eyes remain closed.
A reader focuses intently on her paperback mystery.
“Doors open on the left at Western”
The oranges shoes stride off the train.
Two children capture the empty seat.
Doors close.
“Keep cell phone conversations to a minimum as a courtesy to other customers.”
The woman chatting on her cell is oblivious to the pronouncement over the speakers.
Loud laughter from a young woman standing beside a young man. Everyone looks up except the sleeper. Her head jerks upright, but her eyes remain closed.
“Doors open on the left at Kedzie.”
Yellow hard hat moves off the train. Reader exits the train.
Doors close.
“Keep belongings off seats so others may sit.”
Two children jostled for greater share of their shared seat.
Beautician dozes off.
Blonde readjusts her left leg and shoulder and jostles sleeper. Sleeper’s eyes open.
“Doors open on the left at Pulaski”
Passengers exit, passengers enter, an array of flip flips and sneakers fill the floor.
“Soliciting and gambling are prohibited on all CTA vehicles.”
Wow, yet another new pronouncement.
“Midway is the end of the line. All passengers must exit.”
The car is silent.
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