I Let Love In

Chapter XLIV: Hotter Than Hell

October

Our A/C went out. 

After a stretch of toasty spring days hitting us and our house turning into an oven we checked out our air conditioning unit to find it dead and rotting. 

"Just what we need," Mum grumbled. "Everything breaks and then what? We replace it and in another twenty years it will break again."

Fans in every room. I placed a white box fan in my room and turned it to the highest setting. Sweat poured down my back and under my arms. I tried tying my shirt up but....it didn't have quite that "cute farmer's daughter" look I was going for. 

I just looked silly.

"We can't get a replacement until December," Mum said in disbelief. She sighed shaking her head. "I knew we should have done this last year, I just knew it. In winter it was covered in ice. I had a feeling this would be the year it went out." Her face was red and shiny. "It's like menopause without the pause."

**********

I stripped down again in my sleep. The fan did a good job at lulling me to sleep but a poor job at keeping my room cool. My bedroom window faced west, making it the hottest room in the house during the hottest time of the day. 

I'd be doing plenty of laundry in the next few months. 

I downed my glass of water, accidentally spilling some of it down my chin. I'd have opened my window if the nighttime wildlife wasn't so chilling to hear. Nothing like hissing snakes or growling koalas, which sound like actual demons. But we did have a few stray possums wander in our yard with neighbourhood cats getting into scraps. Not to mention the fucking bugs. 

I'd rather just brave the heat.

The morning was much cooler and I dressed myself after waking up naked. I turned the fan off and thought to put on sun lotion before heading outside. 

Back to my gardening.