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area. The map indicated that she was close to Chinatown, and for
lack of a better plan she headed in that direction.
Three hours later, she’d finally found a place to sleep. It was dingy
and reeked of smoke, and her room was barely large enough for
the small bed that had been crammed inside. There was no lamp;
instead, a single bulb protruded from the ceiling and the
communal bathroom was down the hall. The walls were gray and
water stained and the window had bars. From the rooms on either
side of her, she could hear people talking in a language she
couldn’t understand. Still, it was all she could afford. She had
enough money to stay three nights, four if she could somehow
survive on the little food she’d brought from home.
She sat on the edge of the bed, trembling, afraid of this place,
afraid of the future, her mind whirling. She had to pee but she
didn’t want to leave the room. She tried to tell herself that it was
an adventure and everything would be okay. As crazy as it
sounded, she found herself wondering if she’d made a mistake by
leaving; she tried not to think about her kitchen and bedroom and
all the things she’d left behind. She knew she could buy a ticket
back to Boston and get home before Kevin even realized she was
gone. But her hair was short and dark and there was no way she
could explain that.
Outside, the sun was down but streetlights shone through the
dirty window. She heard horns honking and she looked out. At
the street level, all the signs were in Chinese and some businesses
were still open. She could hear conversations rising in the
darkness and there were plastic bags filled with garbage piled
near the street. She was in an unfamiliar city, a city filled with
strangers. She couldn’t do this, she thought. She wasn’t strong
enough. In three days, she’d have no place to stay unless she
could find a job. If she sold her jewelry, she might buy herself
another day, but then what?