I boarded a plane with a deep wound still in my heart and fled Japan without any real plan. So… what now? All I’ve got with me is an old, worn‑out paper map.
I glance at my partner’s meter. 596 miles from LAS VEGAS… Huh. I’ve already come that far.
“EL PASO.”
As I casually look at the map, that name jumps out at me. LAS VEGAS → NEW MEXICO → TEXAS. I’ve really come a long way…
…Yeah. I should probably find a motel for tonight too. Alright, let’s cross the state line and stay in EL PASO, Texas. The sun is still high above me. I should reach the city before sunset. Tonight I want to crash in a motel with the AC blasting and down an ice‑cold beer. I’d give my partner something cold too if that were possible—but yeah, no.
“Hey buddy, it’s hot, isn’t it? The sun’s brutal every day. But riding the freeway feels amazing, right? You think so too, don’t you?”
Talking to my partner, I fire up the engine. He gives me that familiar, happy rumble. Alright… Let’s head to this place called EL PASO.
I got onto Interstate 10 in New Mexico and headed toward El Paso, Texas.
A straight road. Dry air. A high, endless sky. The only sound in my ears is my partner slicing through the wind. Man… it’s incredible. I could die right now and be satisfied— that’s how good it feels.
The wind purifies my wounded heart. The earth heals me.
When I surrender myself to the land, it wraps me gently. This land can heal any wound.
Match your breath to the earth. Feel the wind. Let it carry you.
…How is it? …Right? We’re tiny, aren’t we? Yeah. We’re small, insignificant beings.
I wonder how long I’ve been riding. Letting myself sink into all these thoughts is its own kind of cleansing. My heart becomes simpler. Let the wind carry away the noise. This is healing itself.
Then— as I’m riding in that peaceful state, I see something ahead that I’ve never seen before.
What the—!? Horses being carried in a Ford truck! Ahh, so that’s how they transport them. Two horses were standing in a special trailer. I rode alongside the truck and greeted the horses. They seemed curious too, looking at me over and over. Such gentle eyes… it almost made me cry.
After finishing my little “conversation” with them, I sped up a bit, greeted the owner in the driver’s seat, and left the truck behind. In my mirror, it grew smaller and smaller. Encounters like this— that’s America for you.
If God really exists, I’d like to thank Him. He created horses. What could be more wonderful? I once heard, “If there were no animals on Earth, humans would have gone extinct.” I kind of get that.
Oh yeah— I heard that when a dog’s beloved owner comes home, the dog gives off a green aura of joy. Green is the color of healing, right? We’re healed by animals every day.
Just looking at a horse heals me. And sitting on my bike heals me too. People think bikes are inorganic, but they’re not. They’re always watching their rider. So don’t you dare treat them badly.
To be continued…
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