Waiting For the Breeze

Noairconditioning?Howcanyousleep??afriendasks,horrified.Ivejustrevealedthatmyfamilyhasdecidedtoturntheairconditioneroffandtrimourelectricbill.

"Nobodyopensawindow,dayornight,"warnsanotherfriend,whosewindowshavebeenpaintedshutforadecade."Itsjustnotsafe.?Onthisfirstnightofourcostcuttingadventure,its30degrees.Werenotgoingtosuffer,butthethreekidsgrumbleanyway.Theyvegrownupin22-degreecomfort,insulatedfromtheworldoutside.

"Howdoyouopenthesewindows??myhusbandasks.Jigglingthemetaltabs,hefinallyreleasesone.Apotpourri*ofbugbodiesdecoratesthesill.Aswespringthewindowsonebyone,thenightnoiseshowloutside-andin.

"Itsjusttoohottosleep,"my13-year-olddaughtercomplains.

"Imabouttodiefromthisheat,"herbrotheryellsdownthepassage.

"Justtryittonight,"Itellthem.

IntruthImtootiredtoargueforlong.ImexhaustedafterattendingGrandmasestateauction.ItotedhomeherovaltinbathtubandthechairIoncestoodonlikeabigshotbehindthecounterofhershop,packingchocolateandrollingcoins.

Myfaceissweaty,butIliequietlylisteningtothecricketchoirsoutsidethatremindmeofchildhood.Theneighboursdoghowls.Probablyatrespassingsquirrel.ItsbeenyearssinceIvetakenthetimetoreallylistentothenight.

IthinkaboutGrandma,wholivedto92andstillsupervisedMumsgardeninguntiljustafewweeksbeforeshedied.

Andthen,Imbackthereatherhouseinthesummerheatofmychildhood.

ImovemypillowtothefootofGrandmasbedandanglemyfacetowardstheopenwindow.Iflipthepillow,huntingforthecoolerside.

Grandmaseesmethrashing."Ifyoulljustwatchforthebreeze,"shesays,"youllcooloffandfallasleep.?ShecranksuptheVenetianblinds.Istareatthefilmywhitecurtain,willingittoflutter.

Lyingstill,waiting,Isuddenlynoticethelifeoutsidethewindow.Thebugchorusshouts,"Ajooga!Ajooga!?Neighbours,sittingontheirverandasuntillate,speakinhazywordswithsandededgesthatsootheme.

"Keepwatchingforthebreeze,"Grandmasayssoftly,andImh-huh?inreply.Bugspingthescreen.Threeblocksawayatrainrumblesby.

Icatchthescentoffreshgrassclippings.ThenIhearsomethingIcantdecode-perhapsatreebranchrakingtheshinglesontheshoproofnextdoor.

Sleepy-eyednow,Ifocusonthecurtain.Itflutters...

"Mum,didyouhearthat?"myseven-year-oldblurts."Ithinkitwasanowlfamily.?"

Probably,"Itellhim.Justkeeplistening...?

Withoutthedroningairconditioner,thehouseisoddlypeaceful,andtheunfilterednightnoisesseemcloseenoughtotouch.

IhopeImawaketonightwhenthefirstbreezesneaksin.