Is it Done?

Having taken care of a few random items, I am super late by the time I leave for work. On Overlook, I hear loud footsteps. Turning around, I’m surprised to see it’s Sara S. and even more surprised that I can hear her from a full block away. I wait for her to catch up and she tells me that she was up late watching skating championships.

Sara and I walk into the station together, passing Marc R. at the foot of stairs which lead down to the platform. Yaffa J. comes over and we all talk about lateness. When the train arrives, Yaffa walks towards her spot, while Sara and I ride together. We talk about various work projects, and I tell her how it has become common at my office to ask whether a project is done or “done d'done d'done done," meaning all the loose ends have been tied. It takes some effort, but I try not to think of all my loose ends, just days before heading out on vacation.

Back On

I can tell from the lights on the elevator panel that it’s headed in the opposite direction, so in an unusual maneuver I take the stairs to the lobby. I just don't have the time to wait.

Outside it's chillier than I thought it would be and not nearly as bright as I expected. I flip my sunglasses to the top of my head; it's the first time since the onset of spring that I wear them.

Michael Z. is walking, holding one of his children's hands, outside the A station. I first met him sixteen years ago but haven't spoken to him since, despite living in the same neighborhood for much of that time.

On the platform, a girl with a flowery white skirt is walking in front of me. She is wearing unseasonably dark fishnet stockings that simply do not belong with her solid flats.

I see Benny S. further up on the platform, the second day in a row. "We're back on," I say, referring to a recent conversation we had about how we always used to see each other on the train but then hadn't for a long time. "Yup," he responds, "we're back!"

Coincidence?

Downstairs on Bennett Ave, I see a bumper sticker on a 4x4 that reads "Silly boys, trucks are for girls." Walking to the train station, I pass Gilit H. on Overlook, as she tries to teach her daughter how to pronounce her own name.

I have a cup of hot peppermint tea in my hands, which I made before leaving for work, to try and soothe my stomach. The AM New York Guy says good morning as I walk into the station.

Benny S. is on the platform and waves. Just the other day, we had been talking about how we rarely see each other on the subway anymore. We get into different cars when the train arrives. My car is filled with the putrid smell of homeless man and at the next stop I switch, to the car where Benny is. He double takes, and I respond by waving my hand in front of my nose in a smelly gesture, and point to the other car. We laugh.

Flossaholic

Is it OK to floss in public? Because I roasted potatoes this morning, tasted one just before I left, and now there is rosemary wedged between two teeth.
I see Tzivia H. on 186th, and on Overlook a tall Israeli man asks, in Hebrew and into his cellphone, "are you dieting?" I can hear the leash on his poodle dangling as he pauses to let the dog poop and I pass him.

In the station, I can hear the train approach but I am too tired to run for it, and I am the first one onto the platform after the train pulls out. Walking really slowly towards my spot, I am passed by Estie H. and Yehuda B. Neither of them notice me.

I get a seat on the train even though it's crowded, and watch "Up In the Air," on my Blackberry, for most of the ride. At 59th, I bump into Daniel S. We both wave hello and I go back to my movie, starving for some coffee.

Phony Love

The lobby smells like toast, which doesn't make life better for those who have left home without breakfast. I hold the front door open for a neighbor who takes too long to reach it, then step out into gorgeous fresh air. Judy R. is walking her child down Bennett Avenue, which is drenched in a sunlight that hasn't been seen since September.

There is a cute girl outside the station, talking on her cellphone. I've seen her on the train many times before, often with her boyfriend and often arguing with him. "I don't need to make a lot of money," she says, "but it should be about work and effort."

Yonatan K. is sitting on the benches just behind the turnstiles. He doesn't notice me as I walk by and stroll down the stairs to the subway platform.

On the train, I sit next to a couple. The man, in gray suit and lavender tie, is glued to his iPhone. He has an oblong head and a short reddish beard, and his wife, who appears the older of the two, reminds me a of my first college girlfriend. I double-take to make sure it isn't actually her, and the man takes notice. She doesn't; she closes her eyes just as his return to his precious phone.

Red Mutter

Third floor resident Avi N. walks into elevator, just as I step out. Outside the building, another neighbor waves hello from across the street, while walking her baby up and down the block. She is an attractive young woman who’s name I still don’t know despite her moving in over two years ago.

At the station, the train arrives just as I walk down the stairs onto the platform. Despite the crowd, it’s easy to notice a young redheaded boy muttering all too loudly to himself. He is complaining about the sticky floor. A few middle seats are left but I choose to stand instead, leaning against the door and settling in for the ride.

No Vitamins Today

I let the cleaning lady into the apartment this morning and, after a short chat, I leave for work. Downstairs, I run into Willie, the super, and then into David M. across Bennett Ave.

Sara K. leaves her building on 186th, and on Overlook I see Rabbi H. looking into the engine of his station wagon. Once inside the train station, Newspaper Guy says hello as I walk past him. Doron S. is also there, running after his son, and doesn't notice me or the fact that he’s wearing same coat as me.

A short woman with curly hair and a leather jacket smiles at me at bottom of stairs. Margie C. is also on the platform, and we ride the train together, discussing random topics. Of particular interest is the source of the strange smell in the car.

At 59th, I see Doron again, sans child, but still don’t get a chance to say hello. I transfer to the B, and get off near the bagel store, where I run into Will Y. To my deep dismay, they are out of vitamin water.