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Riding Downtown

Dear Diary:

I was new to the city. My beloved grandmother from Sicily had died at age 90 the day I moved in, and I missed her in a way that made my body ache.

I had a job in a building at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. I had to go downtown one day to pick up some papers.

I got on the express train and sat next to an older woman. She immediately started to nod off and lean on to me.

I leaned her back. She woke up and then fell asleep again. I gently nudged her awake. When she leaned onto me a third time, I gave her my shoulder and let her have a little sleep.