It was August in the Northeast. It had been another sweltering, record-setting temperature kind of day. It was now the middle of the night, and it was still hot. It was just me, an open window, and my dinky little table fan. It was so, so hot. I couldn't sleep. I tossed. I turned. I threw my arm over my forehead and moaned, wiping my long hair off of my face and neck. Ugh, I needed to get an air conditioner.
There I was, lying in bed, the sheets in a tangle around my feet. The heat and the humidity were more than I could bear. The air was heavy and thick with moisture, and my little table fan could hardly make a breeze. I had to do something to cool off.
My thin tank top clung to me, so I had to peel it off slowly, pulling it over my head. My breasts were glazed with perspiration. A cold shower would feel great, but I was afraid that it would wake me up even more. Plus, I knew I would just have to shower again in the morning. I had to cool off now, somehow.
Instead of showering, I decided to just get my hair wet. I went into the bathroom and got on my hands and knees in the bathtub. I flipped my hair over into my face and turned on the faucet. I knelt there, my head upside-down, and drenched my hair with the cold tap water. I climbed out of the tub and returned to the dark bedroom, not bothering to grab a towel. I stood in front of my little fan, the water from my hair dripping down over my body. Ah, at last, some relief. But now I really was wide awake, my panties were soggy, and I felt more uncomfortable than ever. I needed a better solution.
I tiptoed quietly to the kitchen, and put some ice cubes in a bowl. I carried them back to my bedroom and put them on the table in front of the fan. Lying down on the bed, I waited to feel the coolness wash over my body. But God, it was so hot, and I was impatient. My hair was starting to stick to me again, and it was like trying to breathe through seaweed.