#1 I had a bunk by the open window (CF) on a warm September night and was reading, enjoying the evening air before lights out when a young man across the aisle came over and shut it with a vengeance. I asked him nicely, with gestures, how bout we keep it open just a crack? And an angry waterfall of foreign words rained down on me. It felt even dangerous. An hour later, as he was snoring loudly, I quietly opened it again, it was too tempting, just within arm's reach for me. I felt a bit deceitful, I mean, what if I actually got him sick or something? But the room was so hot. I felt like the parody of a selfish American, but still wanted my way with that damn window. He survived and I survived and he was gone before daylight.
#2 I remember a huge overcrowded, segregated room in Leon, I mean it was Stuff City. Forty or more double bunks piled together with hardly a passageway in between. The convent management shut the doors to make sure the women and men stayed apart? Incredibly hot and stuffy even with two small windows open. Lots of coughing and sneezing. Looked like a hard night coming on. Then a young woman closed one of the two small windows, and I remember panicking, thinking we might literally suffocate if the other one is closed, the carbon dioxide could get that high. I remember being so worried someone would shut off our only air source. Panic in the middle of the night can take on otherworldly proportions. I stayed awake all night, staring across the room over the tops of all those sleeping bodies, fixated on that tiny open window, desperately hoping no one would close it. Moving back and forth between helpless anger and peaceful acceptance. I must've been working out some crazy unknown karma that night.
I just cannot stand to be stuffy at night, you would think others would want that as well!
