So, I was back in the rain, down to one beer, and about a half a mile from what used to be my house. No cash. Certainly no credit. Things weren't looking too good, but I had been in worse situations. And at least I still had one beer. I decided to head back, search my belongings one more time. I had enough stuff piled in that hallway that there must be some hidden change I missed. I was rushing, I told myself, the first time. I would be more thorough. I was sure that I could find at least a couple more dollars in change, and having disregarded the pennies the first time, all of a sudden I was brimming with confidence. Five minutes to the house, a solid fifteen minute search, ten minutes back to the market. In thirty minutes, I would be back in business. Things were looking up! I quickened my pace and rounded the home stretch.
The rain was letting up! The last hundred yards or so, I walked between raindrops. The sky was lightening up as well. I felt better than I had in weeks. I entered the breezeway, took stock of my belongings, got on my knees, and began to pull things apart. Then I remembered the beer in my backpack, so I cracked that open and truly enjoyed myself as I searched my stuff for loose change. And I began to have a little luck. A few pennies, a nickle, soon I was up to fifty cents and I wasn't even half-way through! I drained the beer and kept searching. It was just a matter of time, I thought. Diligence. A quarter at the bottom of a box of papers! What a day! I kept searching, searching...
'Russ, what are you doing?' I turned around to see my girlfriend's sister standing in the doorway. I looked at the mess I had created, the empty beer can, stood up, faced her, and said , 'Nothing. Why, what's up?'
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