How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

An overworked woman tells a friend an anecdote about finding out that, “the B train doesn’t run at night” and having to wait forever for a train home because of the mistake (354). Another day, she complains to the same friend about a girl being rude to her during a meeting at work. After the meeting, she gets lost on the train going home, compounding her bad day. 

Time goes by and she tells her friend she stopped online dating but is still thinking about her ex, Nick. She is worried she missed her one chance to get married. She tells her friend she discovered that a “P train” exists (357). She also explains she has been having trouble getting motivated lately, that the world is “boring” and the “trains […] crowded” (357).

Time passes and she wonders aloud to her friend if she is right for life in New York City. She doesn’t feel tough or mean enough to fit in. She feels like everyone is walking on her. She pauses in her story to thank her friend for being supportive when no one else is.

Time slips by and she admits to her friend that she thinks she is “hallucinating” trains that no longer run the tracks (359).