If you have ever lived in a working class, urban area you know the kind of neighborhood I’m talking about. It’s the kind of place where you know your neighbor’s business, because they shout it from the windows, in the courtyard, and in the stairwells. It’s the kind of place where motorists share that day’s musical choice with the entire neighborhood as they drive by. It’s where public transportation is usually crowded and almost always noisy.
But tonight it’s quiet. It must be because of the rain. It’s too windy and wet for people to be outside, and any motorists have their windows shut against the damp chill. But that doesn’t explain the tomb-like silence in our building. It would scare me, if it wasn’t a blessed relief from being social all afternoon. I hear traffic passing on the streets below and the occasional siren, but no human voices. It’s surreal. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.
