It was Sunday and the fifth day of the heat wave. My house was like an oven, and the radio warned that all roads leading to the seaside were jammed with cars crawling bumper to bumper. As it appeared quite useless even to attempt leaving the city, I decided to spend the day in the park.
Outside the air was shimmering from the heat and the streets seemed deserted. Without the usual crowds and traffic, everything was strangely quiet. The tar on the roads was even beginning to sizzle in places, I noticed. Wiping the sweat from the back of my neck, I walked as quickly as I could towards the park, all the time hugging the shade of the buildings.
By the time I had arrived at the park, my clothes were wet through with perspiration and my shirt was sticking to my back in a most uncomfortable manner. Many other people seemed to have had the same idea as myself and the park was full. There were bodies everywhere.
Some people was lying on the grass under the trees attempting to get cool, while others were actually sprawling in the sun rubbing suntan oil on themselves in order to promote a tan. Yet another group was clustered around the pond in the center of the park. They were dangling their legs in the water and one rather fat old lady was actually sitting in the pond much to the surprise of the ducks which could not understand why their home had suddenly become so popular.
After resting under the trees for some time observing a family having a picnic, I decided to walk in the direction of the park restaurant. It was air-conditioned, so I had a leisurely lunch there, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
When I left the restaurant, the sun was still scorching hot. Over by the pond, children licking ice creams were splashing noisily in the water. The fat lady had gone by now, but the ducks looked as though they had already become quite used to their constant stream of visitors.
The heat was finally dying down as I reached home; the sun sinking in a fiery red ball on the horizon. Would it be as hot tomorrow, I wondered. When would this dreadful heat wave end?