The narrator tells us that he lives in a "quiet, peaceful" suburban neighborhood with his mother and sister. He complains about the noise of the city and its inhabitants. He tells his mother that he doesn't go to church and that he's dumping ice in her bed. He also complains about being late for work. He says that he injured his foot playing soccer and that it looks like he'll be stuck with Beatrice for a while. He asks his mother why she hasn't gotten up to get ready for work yet. She tells him that she's late because she has to go to the library to write a letter to her employer. The narrator complains that his mother is a "horrible mother" and that no one understands his suffering. He's still a stereotype, he says, and he wants to go away. He gives his mother some advice about how to behave while out and about in the hot Texas sun.