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Noairconditioning?Howcanyousleep??afriendasks,horrified.I'vejustrevealedthatmyfamilyhasdecidedtoturntheairconditioneroffandtrimourelectricbill.
"Nobodyopensawindow,dayornight,"warnsanotherfriend,whosewindowshavebeenpaintedshutforadecade."It'sjustnotsafe.?Onthisfirstnightofourcostcuttingadventure,it's30degrees.We'renotgoingtosuffer,butthethreekidsgrumbleanyway.They'vegrownupin22-degreefort,insulatedfromtheworldoutside.
"Howdoyouopenthesewindows??myhusbandasks.Jigglingthemetaltabs,hefinallyreleasesone.Apotpourri*ofbugbodiesdecoratesthesill.Aswespringthewindowsonebyone,thenightnoiseshowloutside-andin.
"It'sjusttoohottosleep,"my13-year-olddaughterplains.
"I'mabouttodiefromthisheat,"herbrotheryellsdownthepassage.
"Justtryittonight,"Itellthem.
IntruthI'mtootiredtoargueforlong.I'mexhaustedafterattendingGrandma'sestateauction.ItotedhomeherovaltinbathtubandthechairIoncestoodonlikeabigshotbehindthecounterofhershop,packingchocolateandrollingcoins.
Myfaceissweaty,butIliequietlylisteningtothecricketchoirsoutsidethatremindmeofchildhood.Theneighbour'sdoghowls.Probablyatrespassingsquirrel.It'sbeenyearssinceI'vetakenthetimetoreallylistentothenight.
IthinkaboutGrandma,wholivedto92andstillsupervisedMum'sgardeninguntiljustafewweeksbeforeshedied.
Andthen,I'mbackthereatherhouseinthesummerheatofmychildhood.
ImovemypillowtothefootofGrandma'sbedandanglemyfacetowardstheopenwindow.Iflipthepillow,huntingforthecoolerside.
Grandmaseesmethrashing."Ifyou'lljustwatchforthebreeze,"shesays,"you'llcooloffandfallasleep.?ShecranksuptheVeianblinds.Istareatthefilmywhitecurtain,willingittoflutter.
Lyingstill,waiting,Isuddenlynoticethelifeoutsidethewindow.Thebugchorusshouts,"Ajooga!Ajooga!?Neighbours,sittingontheirverandasuntillate,speakinhazywordswithsandededgesthatsootheme.
"Keepwatchingforthebreeze,"Grandmasayssoftly,andI'mh-huh?inreply.Bugspingthescreen.Threeblocksawayatrainrumblesby.
Icatchthescentoffreshgrassclippings.ThenIhearsomethingIcan'tdecode-perhapsatreebranchrakingtheshinglesontheshoproofnextdoor.
Sleepy-eyednow,Ifocusonthecurtain.Itflutters...
"Mum,didyouhearthat?"myseven-year-oldblurts."Ithinkitwasanowlfamily.?"
Probably,"Itellhim.Justkeeplistening...?
Withoutthedroningairconditioner,thehouseisoddlypeaceful,andtheunfilterednightnoisesseemcloseenoughtotouch.
IhopeI'mawaketonightwhenthefirstbreezesneaksin.