Cue the saxophone...
It is a few minutes before one when I step off the subway, yet the 72nd Street platform is full of people waiting to get home or to their late shift at work. My raincoat flaps in the breeze created by the train as it roars out of the station, and the odor of unwashed bodies fills my nostrils. I look for the homeless person(s) responsible for the smells, but the only people I see are "regular" folks like me or subway workers climbing onto the tracks in their neon orange vests, lanterns in hand.
As I exit the station and walk through the deserted plaza, where just a week or two ago an evangelical cult tried to teach me about the dangers of temptation by waiving free granola bars in my face during the morning rush hour (I took one, but I stored it in my desk drawer, in case of an emergency, so take that, missionaries!), I heard my name. "Good night, Suzanne!" I looked up from the stone pavers and smiled at the doorman from my building, heading back to his family. "Good night, Felix."
In the few blocks to my apartment, I passed a ConEd crew entering a manhole, workers at a corner bodega bustling to arrange bouquets of flowers, and a short man in a puffy coat walking a tiny dog with pink ribbons. Upon entering my building, the night security guard greeted me. "You been gone since I saw you this morning?"
"Yeah, it's been a long day," I said and we grinned.
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Just FYI, I ordered your "Off The Beaten (Subway) Track" today from Amazon, as a partial 2nd wedding anniversary gift for my son & daughter-in-law/author who live in Queens. I believe in supporting good authors, musicians, & etc with one's wallet.
ReplyDeleteHamdillah! And shalom. "Adobe"
Thanks! I hope they will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI can totally picture this scene. I've been avoiding the city in these late stages of my pregnancy- something about being big and vulnerable and walking not being so fun, what with a baby pressing on all the nerves in my groin- and I can't wait to get back in eventually. My little sis will be living there as of May, so I should have decent motivation to get in there. The energy of NYC is so amazing.
ReplyDeleteLOL. It's the glamor of scenes like this that make me question my utter distate for NYC. But then I do get there, and I think, nope, I was right, I can't do this for more than a couple of hours. I'm glad that it's nice for some people, and I'm glad that you write about it!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of evangelical cults, did I tell you those God Hates Fags nuts protested the high school my good friend works at? I know this isn't on subject, but I've been meaning to tell you that. Funny shit.
ReplyDeleteI wish my sister would move here! She's like Allie, though - the city only works for her in little amounts.
ReplyDeleteAs to the God Hates Fags bullshit, as I said at work recently, "People are fucks. I hate them."