New York City, August 25, 2016

★★ The sweat-soaked pajama shirt, flung off in defeat in the middle of the night, hit the floor with an audibly damp sound. The repaired air conditioner was not so repaired after all; the bed had to be shoved aside again for another try. The faded moon matched the thin clouds high overhead. Up to midday it was still possible, out of the sun, to believe that the heat was less than absolute. A man ate something while leaning against the blank side wall of the Apple Store, a few feet within the safety of the shade. The uptown 1 car was uncooled but full nevertheless. People boarded with dismay but didn’t bother fleeing. Missing a walk signal out in the open felt like a devastating setback.