在国外租房的那些日子
<p> <span word="Thirty">Thirty</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="stepped">stepped</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Amtrak">Amtrak</span> <span word="train">train</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heat">heat</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="stench">stench</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Penn">Penn</span> <span word="Station">Station</span> <span word="clutching">clutching</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="oversize">oversize</span> <span word="trash">trash</span> <span word="bag">bag</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="clothes">clothes</span>.</p><p> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> $1, 000─<span word="my">my</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="savings">savings</span>─<span word="tucked">tucked</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="pocket">pocket</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="bluejeans">bluejeans</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="address">address</span> <span word="scrawled">scrawled</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="pocket">pocket</span>: 228 <span word="Sullivan">Sullivan</span> <span word="St">St</span>.</p><p> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="laid">laid</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="improbably">improbably</span> <span word="pink">pink</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="months">months</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="impulsive">impulsive</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="leave">leave</span> <span word="Boston">Boston</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Manhattan">Manhattan</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="complicated">complicated</span> <span word="reasons">reasons</span>: <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="affair">affair</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="learning">learning</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="romantic">romantic</span> <span word="vision">vision</span> <span word="shaped">shaped</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span>-<span word="matinee">matinee</span> <span word="Doris">Doris</span> <span word="Day">Day</span> <span word="movies">movies</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="childhood">childhood</span>. <span word="Also">Also</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="escaping">escaping</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="sibling">sibling</span>, <span word="Skip">Skip</span>, <span word="had">had</span> <span word="died">died</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="household">household</span> <span word="accident">accident</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="futilely">futilely</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="comfort">comfort</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="parents">parents</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> 25 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="old">old</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="grief">grief</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="minute">minute</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="piles">piles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="trash">trash</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="lined">lined</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="street">street</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="falafels">falafels</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="exhaust">exhaust</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="refuge">refuge</span>.</p><p> <span word="Heather">Heather</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="subletting">subletting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dancer">dancer</span>, <span word="blonde">blonde</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lithe">lithe</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Betty">Betty</span> <span word="Boop">Boop</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="on">on</span>-<span word="again">again</span>, <span word="off">off</span>-<span word="again">again</span> <span word="boyfriend">boyfriend</span>. <span word="Eager">Eager</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="life">life</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="showed">showed</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dishes">dishes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cups">cups</span>─<span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="each">each</span>─<span word="her">her</span> <span word="coffeepot">coffeepot</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="boiling">boiling</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pouring">pouring</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="appeared">appeared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sock">sock</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="Heather">Heather</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="home">home</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="longingly">longingly</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Coffee">Coffee</span> <span word="tucked">tucked</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="storage">storage</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Farberware">Farberware</span> <span word="pans">pans</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Marimekko">Marimekko</span> <span word="comforter">comforter</span>. <span word="Heather">Heather</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="neighborhood">neighborhood</span>─<span word="where">where</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drink">drink</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="gone">gone</span>.</p>
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