"Hot as all Christ out there."

A small morning implosion in an Inwood diner

July 14, 2023
Inwood — New York, NY

I collapsed, sweaty and jetlagged, into a booth at the Capitol Diner in Inwood and ordered two coffees.

The waiter, also the owner, had his ratty little notepad out but didn’t write anything down. “You sure? Hot as all Christ out there.”

I nodded, and he lumbered off behind the counter. The guy sitting up at the front bench was eating gazpacho. Between spoonfuls, he was sniffing so loudly you could hear it from Queens.

I sketched away while eavesdropping on the couple at the booth by the window. He was really worked up. She was just sitting across from him, staring blankly while he bleated at her.

“You’ve got two faces!” He yelled, “You got one for me and another for everybody else when you’re running around Dyckman, talking shit!”
She stood up, waved to the owner as he came out with my coffee, and walked out onto the street, sobbing.