It wasn't supposed to be like this....2

It’s a North wind tonight.  So my trek up Bay Street is a hard one.  Thank God I’m north of College Street now.  The tunnel effect isn’t as fierce.  It’s still cold just the same, but the funnelled wind doesn’t pierce like it did just a few blocks south.  I’m heading to St. Mary’s Street.  There are no subway grates to keep me warm, but there is an alcove that should be empty this time of night.   It’s on the university campus.  It’s a goodly thing that no one else seems to have found it.  That’s pretty uncommon downtown.  Normally all of the good places require early squatting to claim refuge.  This place however seems to have slipped by others seeking shelter from the winter.  Hopefully when I get there, it will be empty. 

It was around 40 years ago I’d passed this same alcove every day.  It’s unimaginable that this much time has passed.  Back then, I never paid much attention to this place.   It was two floors down from my dorm room.  I do remember being annoyed on Wednesday mornings when the trash truck would back in with the reverse alarms going off to pick up the bin.  But I should have been thankful since it got me up in time for classes.  Tonight, though, I’m hoping it will give me some refuge from the wind and the cold.  I’m hoping it will give me a decent couple of hours of sleep.  The buttons on this coat may be gone, but I’m thankful it still grants me some warmth.  I’m thinking my former dorm room, two floors up is pretty toasty tonight.  It is Sunday night, so there won’t be any garbage truck in the morning.  I rummage in my ruck sack and pull out the sleeping bag that kept me warm on camping trips so many years ago.  It has seen better days, but it still finds the courage to keep me warm on these such nights.