Neighbors

On the way home last night run into neighbor on train. Know her well enough to say hello to but not well enough to remember her name. (Maggie? Molly? maybe Laura? Don't venture a guess but am comfortable sticking with You.) Realize that home quite a few stops plus several blocks of walking and wonder if we will be forced to make conversation for the whole trip. (We are.) Search brain for topic of conversation. Am carrying large bag of groceries. Ask, where do you buy food in the neighborhood? This well runs dry very quickly. Conversation shifts to restaurants in the neighborhood, the broken elevator and then the weather. It is very humid today. Yes it is. Get to subway stop. Emerge from depths. Notice that blocks to apartment building extremely long and quiet. When reach lobby of building get in elevator and Neighbor says that she needs to check her mail. She exhibits visible signs of relief on face as we part. Experience the same relief, but feelings slightly hurt that she is as glad to see the last of me as I am of her.