Hot, slightly bitter, I slowly sipped, my tongue silently savouring first the creamy foam, then the rich dark liquid. The small voice deep within, shrieked Do Not panic. Easier said than done I reminded it.
Suppressing the needs which this emotion engenders, I concentrated on the task in hand. Making a To Do List, and listing in order of importance.
Most important: A place to stay. My old apartment ? Tenants long since ensconced, since I rented out the place just before my departure. A stop-gap for a day or two, sleeping on the sofa, until I find a suitable place of my own ? Possible or not possible?
Sip of coffee, pause for thought. Alternative possibility: An hotel. Annonymity assured. I would be just another guest, no questions asked, no explanantions necessary. By far the better choice under the present strained conditions.
The question of cost nagged, tugged a chord on the financial purse strings. Limited funds would mean a long stay would not be viable, but maybe as a stop-gap this would be the better option. Renting: cheaper, but so many questions needing answers. Inevitable on all counts. Decisions, decisions. Thoughts veered to funds, money available, and the need to change my foreign currency to dollars. This becomes the essential first item. Without sufficient cash, nothing is possible. I drain my coffee, pick up my bag and it is as I walked towards the bureau de change, that I heard my name called out over the loud speaker.
I stopped in my tracks. My stomach knoted. My body involuntarily went into overdrive, I broke out into a cold sweat. Two choices leaped into my mind. Pretend I did not hear this, head for the exit, or I walk resolutely towards the Information desk. Which is it to be?
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