It went off without a hitch. We found the gate to their flight, we wept slightly, then I turned the other way. I bought two magazines. I went to a different gate. I caught my plane. I met the shuttle bus afterwards, and then I was in Barcelona.
At the bus station, a man told me that I did not under any circumstances want to have my bag ripped off. ¨Senorita, I could talk to you right here...¨ he said, staring into my eyes and smiling, his white teeth in his tanned face, "and someone come along and fsst, take it, just like that. Wallet, passport, everything."
I nodded and smiled nervously. Still, when I left the bus station, it was all there. I hailed a taxi. The man was a driver who was plainly talkative, and tried his best to make conversation. I could respond only with "I will be here cinco days."
"By yourself?" he said, stroking his chin.
"Si," I said. I had reached the limits of my Spanish, and he his English, so the conversation stopped right there.
I made it to my hostel safely. I paid him nine -- "well actually it is eleven" --- euro and was cautioned by the front desk to lock all my belongings in the safe. I did so. I made my bed and I took a nap. The room was dark, and humid. My bed was a lower bunk in the far corner. There was not enough room to sit up on it. I was alone for now. I slept soundly.
When I woke, I took fifty euro and tucked it safely into my purse. I walked out the front door of the hostel, uncertain as to where I should go. The storefronts were dark although it was only mid-afternoon. The bars were all that was open. The streets were dirty, and large groups of men continued to pass me. They all stared me down until I looked away, or down at my map.
Then a group of people talking passed me. I could pick out the sounds of German. They were two brown-eyed boys and one blond girl. They had a map also. Inspired by this, I shouted after them, "Hallo!" and walked on.
Then I heard from behind me: "Hallo!"
The short one was striding towards me, map in hand. In German, he said, "Do you know where the grocery store is?"
I had seen one across from my youth hostel, and I told him so. I was however unable to give him directions, and especially not in German, so I walked him and his friends there.
"Your German is very good," the tall one said. He stared into my eyes. "Do you live here?"
"No, I am visiting," I said, striding towards the corner and looking carefully for cars. I had one hand on my purse. "I come from Minnesota -- America. I study in Munich next week."
"Ah, Munich! We are from Salzburg!"
"Ah, Salzburg!" and then we were there, in front of the grocery store. We shook hands. "I am Philip. I am Stephen. ... Lisa."
"I am Jessie," I said. "Nice to meet you."
"Do you know a good place to go for dinner?" the short one said. "Would you like to meet later?"
I hesitated. I looked at them. There were three of them. One was a girl. Also, they were very attractive. "Yes, I would like that. I do not know anyone here."
"Well then, we will meet you at -- eight o clock? In front of the Apollo?" said the short one. "The theater?"
We met there then. We did not know a good place to eat, so we had sour wine and nuts in the bar while the concierge helped other people get into their hotel. When he was finished, he recommended a place, and gave us its card, all the while smiling. His teeth were very white and his skin was very brown. He was quite lovely. We debated his sexuality later, over the fish, which the waitress served to us with a bottle of fine wine. It flaked off onto one's fork, and was served with tomatoes and eggplant. Then we went to the Germans' hotel room and drank more wine, and some beer with lemon, but since there were four of us we did not get drunk, simply silly, and we talked for three hours. It was all very wholesome.
When we decided to part, one of them walked me to my hostel. ¨Very nice to meet you, Jessie." He took my hand, then moved in for a side-kiss far too near my lips, so I kissed him briefly and wholesomely. Then we made Abschied, and I unlocked the door and walked into my hotel. I felt very grown-up.
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