Ten days previously the soles of the the hitch-hiker's feet, hardened by weeks on the road, had cracked, and one of the raw wounds had turned septic. That he was nearing the end of the road - not the end of the journey, because he still had a thousand miles to drive before he was home, but the end of the hitch-hiker road - made no difference: he was too sore, too low to be buoyed up by the prospect of an end. So when he limped into Saida as the evening rolled in across the Sahara he had only the energy to struggle out of his rucksack and collapse into a chair of a small sidewalk cafe. The waiter brought coffee, a miniscule cup half filled with grounds, and a glass of water.
The hitch-hiker didn't want it when a young Algerian pulled up a chair to his table, yet they talked, the Algerian curious about his journey, the places he had been, the people he had met, the, to him, enormous distances he had travelled. When he asked the hitch-hiker where he would sleep that night he explained that he would sleep as he always slept, some distance out of town rolled up in his sleeping bag at the side of the road.
The Algerian sat for a few moments considering this answer, then excused himself, returning ten minutes later with an older man who introduced himself as the organiser of the Saida Jeunesse de Sport. Everything is arranged, the man announced as the youth looked on. A room is booked at the hotel next door. The cafe will serve supper, and petit dejeuner tomorrow morning, early, so you may be on your road again before the camions start out.
I have no money, the hitch-hiker explained. It is kind of you, but....
It is paid, all paid. You are our guest.
What made me check on you today after all this time?? Haven't a clue, call it the seventh sense, but glad I did. Don't want you to explain this story, only to continue it. I'm intrigued. I'm doing french lessons, so petit dejeuner (not spelled like that of course) I understand. Welcome back, Jon.
Posted by: Gary Davison | May 28, 2008 at 07:40 PM
Good to see you back at the blog, Jon, and with a fine sample of your writing too.
Posted by: Paul Burman | June 01, 2008 at 01:23 AM