Central Park

I’ve lived in New York all my life, and I know Central Park like the back of my hand, because I used to roller-skate there all the time and ride my bike when I was a kid, but I had the most terrific trouble finding that lagoon that night. I knew right where it was, it was right near Central Park and all. I finally found it. Where it was, it was partly frozen and partly not frozen. I didn’t see a single duck. I walked around the whole goddam lake. I thought maybe if they weren’t around, they’d be asleep or something, near the edge of the water, near the grass and all. that’s how I nearly fell in. But I couldn’t find any. Finally I sat down on this bench. I was shivering like a bastard. The back of my hair, even though I had my hunting hat on, was sort of full of little hunks of ice. That worried me. I thought I’d get pneumonia and die.