Date: 2011-08-07 21:49:59 Created: 2011-08-07 17:48:29
The air inside was warm as he opened the door, much warmer than the air of the stairway. But it was not the murdering heat of a car left in the sun for a week and a half, and there was no real hint of stale, abandoned apartment. Nevertheless, he was already sweaty from the walk home and already felt the familiar drops begin to form as he reached down to pick up the three letters which had arrived in his absence.
Quickly, he put down his bag and took off his backpack. Shirt and trousers followed, getting put on hangers to get some air and dry up a bit. Feeling more drops form, he quickly set about opening windows on both sides of the apartment, getting some cooler air moving through the rooms.
A quick round of plant watering followed, as well as a short outburst of vaccuum cleaning to get rid of the worst gravel on the hallway and bedroom floors.
As the initial heat and sweat was coming under control, he put on his running clothes and set out for a run. It occured to him that he had not eaten anything in five hours or so.
The next time he opened the door he was sweating even more. But it was the sweat of running, the sweat of letting mind and body settle down and really return home after many days away. The sweat of the mind simultaneously settling and surfacing after hours on a train.
He was thirsty, hungry, tired and felt in touch. A layer of comfortable but tired and unfocused insulation had been removed between him and the world. Everything was a little bit more vivid, a little bit more in focus and a little bit purer.
The water from the shower was cool, and he gradually decreased the temperature as he became accustomed to it. Out of the shower, he filled a pitcher with ice and clear, cold water, feeling the sensation of drinking even as he heard the sound of water pouring over the ice cubes.
He got dressed, sat down on the couch and poured himself a glass of ice water. Leaning back and having the first sip he let his body relax and immersed himself in the sensation of cold, crystal clear water.