I’m now 4,117 miles from the sleepless desert city. I’ve come a long way. But I don’t feel lonely at all, and nothing feels inconvenient. Every day, I’m living freely.
Even if it’s just moving 100 meters, I rely on my partner. I’ve completely gotten used to a life where I don’t walk. And even though I don’t walk, I still get hungry— and eat whatever I want, as much as I want.
Evening was approaching. I was hungry. Time to find something to eat.
I parked my partner somewhere safe and checked the map.
“Dodge City.”
That’s the next town. Alright— I’ll eat there.
As Dodge City came into view, my partner seemed to sense something. Following his “instinct,” I saw it:
“DODGE HOUSE.”
Before I knew it, I was already inside, looking at the menu.
Today’s early dinner, chosen by me and my partner:
A 16oz steak.
There was a salad bar too. For my drink, I chose lemonade. It had been a while since I’d had plenty of fresh vegetables.
The steak was tender, hot, juicy— a big portion with sides, and I finished everything quickly. I drank my lemonade, completely satisfied, and asked for the check.
As I was about to leave, a staff member stopped me.
“Here, take this!”
She handed me a cup filled with lemonade. I had asked for refills so many times that she gave me one to take with me. At first I said, “No, no, I’m on a bike!” but eventually I accepted it.
At first I thought, “How generous!” But later, the kindness really touched me.
I decided to stay in this town tonight and looked for a motel—
—and right next door was “SUPER 8 MOTEL.”
I checked in without hesitation.
While carrying my luggage to the room, I thought, “I want some ice cream… I’ll look for some later.”
And then I found a shop right next to the motel. Next to that was a store where I bought a large drink and snacks. A big black dog was lying on its back, sleeping peacefully.
Back at the motel, I filled the sink with ice and chilled the drink I bought. By the time I finished my shower, it would be ice-cold.
Time to eat the ice cream before it melts. It was huge— everything in America is big. But I’m grateful for it.
“Right… Tonight I’ll fill the bathtub with hot water and soak for a long time.”
To be continued…
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