I wish, for a moment, that I had air conditioning. And then I spot a woman sitting on a curb at the roadside, cradling two young boys in one arm. Her other arm is thrust outward, thumb up. Now that's got to suck, I think. The hood of her pink Pinto is propped.
Steam swirls upward from the motor.
I pull over. She hops inside, drags the boys' legs across her own and sweeps dark hair from her eyes. She looks a little rough around the edges, but it isn't hard to recall her smile. It's been a long time. Nosebleeds and all, it works for me.