Ukies--41. Nowhere to go, nothing to do...

Nowhere to go, nothing to do…

Was a hot summer and the streets were too sweltering to just hang out on them. 8th Street between Avenues B and C was no different from 9th Street between First and Second Avenues -- two places I always gravitated too, Bohdan was on 8^th, Ihor on 9^th, but the hot streets were a no-where-land to me that summer so I headed uptown…

Must have been 95 degrees or so when I turned off 23^rd Street and went downstairs to the pool hall there; I had been there before, the guys never checked your age, and it was a nice place to get out of the heat.

I took a seat and watched a few players going around the tables, but it didn’t look like they were seriously playing, just workers from the various companies on their lunch breaks.

I had been there maybe a half hour or so when a pool player nodded at me.

“Looking for any action, kid?” he said, chalking up his cue.

I shrugged. “Maybe,” I said, not getting up, since I didn’t want him to think I was an easy mark.

“Rack ‘em up, kid,” he said. “Let’s play a game.” And again he chalked up his cue. “25 cents a game, alright?”

I got up from my chair. “Nah,” I said. “Ain’t interested,” and headed to the door and stairs.

“Stupid kid,” I heard say behind me.

Wow! 99 degrees! I read in the corner drugstore thermostat. Wish I had somewhere to go…something to do…

I just walked…and sweated…

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