It was Dunia and Anna's last eveing in Amsterdam, so we went for a long walk together. The girls talked in Russian the whole time, while I let my mind wander. The girls and I had become quite comfortable with each other's prescence to the point that we didn't need to talk. We arrived back at the house with just enough time for Dunia and Anna to pack their bags before heading out again to catch their bus. We walked to central station, where we told tall tales to the bus driver who was havinga ciggarette break. I told a story about when my sister went skydiving; I was hired for $20 to go up in the plane with her and take photos while she jumped out. By the time we were up in the air, I was so overwhelmed with excitement, I'd completely forgotten my mission. I added some overtly extravagant embellishments to the ending and let the story develop into something of a legend. The bus driver had a good time with it. I gave the girls a long hug and saw them into the bus. I was going to miss them.
When I came back to the house, I realized that I was in a tough spot. There was a lot of work to be done in terms of cleaning and preparing for my own travels. I quietly cleaned for a couple of hours until I heard Karen's voice loud and clear, "Kemeys, I'm trying to sleep!"
It was a nightmare. I had to be on a train at 7 in the morning to meet my friend John in Stuttgart, the house was not in ideal shape, and I was not packed. I figured since the house was relatively clean, the best course of action would be to pack a bag and get out as quickly as possible. I tucked some clothes into a backpack with a book and a phone, and left. Walking towards the train station, I found about 40 coasters, strewn in the street. They were a beautiful rounded delta shape and had some street charachter as they had seen some foot traffic. I imagined myself one of Moses' followers collecting precious manna from heaven. Oh the glory!
At the station, I found the main entrance closed and was directed to enter through a side door. Upon entering the station, I saw about a dozen police officers, and a limited number of gates open. It looked like a terrorist threat, though I felt slightly silly about the presumption. I walked back outside and asked a gentleman what was going on. He said that it was standard procedure that they close most of the station for efficiency, and that individuals riding on morning trains had to wait outside. I offered to buy he and another young gentleman some water. The younger gentleman thought it was a great idea, and came with me on the mission. We went to a McDonald's in the Red Light District to buy a few bottles for all who were in our same situation. My new friend's name was _________. He was an internationally recognized DJ who was traveling for shows. He talked about his career and the compromises that have come with his success. I found his insights to be wholistically enlightenting and appropriate for me to hear at that juncture. The conversation meandered while we waited for sunrise. We talked about women, travel, religion, politics, work, play, and compassion. When the doors opened for morning travelers, we stuck together to buy our tickets and wait on our trains. After some time we exchanged information and parted ways.
I sat down on the train platform and made a dozen or so rough paintings on coasters. I feel I am becoming more efficient at generating esthetic quality, as some paintings were singing after only a few moves. The train arrived. I took a seat and fell fast asleep before it left the station.
