The next morning, I tidied my things and set out to see the city. Firstly, I went to an internet cafe. I then went to a little school supplies store and bought a purple notebook. After that I tried to buy a handkerchief, but couldn't find any in my style- they were all plain and white.
I spent a lot of time writing in the notebook, but couldn't get caught up at all. It seemed like so much had happened since I'd left New York, and that was only two weeks ago.
In the late afternoon, I visited a museum with artifacts. Unfortunately, they closed shortly thereafter, and I returned to my host's house.
She met me at the door. "Ah, there you are! I was just leaving. My parents are coming! You have to leave."
"When?" I asked.
"Right now!" she said. "They're coming tonight."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I only just found out."
I knew the real reason she was kicking me out. But there was nothing I could do about it now. I packed up my stuff and left.
The sun had just gone down and I had no place to stay. I walked down the streets, lost. I felt terrible. Near the outskirts of town, I stopped in a bar and drank some whiskey. Then I walked down the wrong road and had some trouble finding the right highway. A pack of dogs loomed ahead of me, growling. I walked through them and they backed off. Finally, I got to the right highway and unrolled my blankets on a dirt road next to a field.
^ 2014/01