Chapter 8
Asmita
My mother once told me as a little girl that nothing ever turns out as you plan.
Well she was right about that. I’ve been in Utah a few days now and it’s nothing like what I thought it would be.
When I crossed the border into Utah, I found water that I could use my pills on.
That got my hopes up for getting into Salt Lake easily and then on to Antelope Island.
The first night in Utah, I climbed over rocks and canyons to make it into a town.
My legs got so scratched up, it looks like I’ve been in a cage fighting with animals.
I had to barter in town for a new pair of pants to stop the people from staring at my scratched-up legs.
Here, people are more civilized than what I’ve experienced these past few months.
I was able to pay my passage with one of my diamonds on a wagon cart that brought me into Salt Lake City.
The wagon travelled during daylight hours; thankfully it was covered.
As it was, I probably lost three pounds in sweat alone.
Today is my first day in Salt Lake City; I arrived just as it was getting dark.
This is the most put-back-together city that I’ve seen since the disaster happened.
The wagon cart carries us straight into downtown.
The streets are lined with signs and stores.
They’ve got everything for a price. Hot meals, clean water, clothing, transportation, lodging…
the list could go on and on. I think I can be safe here for a day or two to rest. I want a real shower and some real food.
I saw a sign for a lodging house above a drink spot as we passed.
I’ll go there first to see about a roof over my head for when the next daylight comes.
The cart finally stops, and the handful of people I’ve traveled with scatter off the cart.
I pull my backpack onto my back and begin to walk the bustling streets that we’ve just passed.
I can’t get over how organized this town is.
It makes me really believe that something good awaits me at Antelope Island.
I’m so close to where I need to be. I wonder what's waiting for me there. Before I can let my mind daydream too much about my destination, I snap back to reality and remember that I have to take it one day at a time. As I’m looking in one of the shop windows, I catch my reflection.
My face is covered with specks of dirt from the ride into town.
My hair has grown at least four inches and desperately needs a cut.
My classic ponytail grows heavier by the day.
I’ve let all my cosmetic appearances go since the disaster, not that I was too into that sort of stuff anyways.
Maybe I’ll find someone to cut my hair while I’m here or at least a pair of scissors to do it myself.
My good mood is quickly soured when I catch a young man in the glass eyeing me on the other side of the street.
I turn around to glare at him, but he’s disappeared as fast as I can turn.
It makes me think of the man in the woods.
He’s filled my dreams and turned them into nightmares.
I leave the shopfront and continue my walk along the street.
I glance at the faces of the men who pass by me.
Will I see him again? I push the question out of my mind.
I remind myself that I need to stop being so paranoid.
I’m sure it was just a coincidence that our eyes met.
He was probably waiting for someone and left.
It’s still dark outside, and there isn’t much light spilling out onto the street so I can’t be sure.
I shrug my shoulders, trying to forget the moment.
I tighten my grip on my backpack straps and keep my head down as I walk the next few blocks.
I stop outside the drink spot and look inside the windows.
They have thick, green curtains pushed to the sides allowing people to see inside during the night hours.
The place is full of people laughing and having a good time.
They all appear to have a drink in their hands.
It looks like alcohol in some, but many are holding waters.
They’ve got gas lamps going around the room to keep it bright enough.
It looks like a safe place to go into. I start at the door and stop to read the sign hanging above the entrance.
NO FREE STAYS. EVERYONE PAYS. INQUIRE WITHIN
I open the door and walk through the entryway.
The lighting is vastly improved from anything I’ve experienced since the disaster.
It’s been so long since I’ve been indoors at night that I didn’t really know what to expect.
The gas lamps are evenly spread throughout the long room to allow people to see where they are walking and who they are interacting with.
I move my bag to one shoulder and put it in front of my body to maneuver through the crowd easily.
I make my way to the bar and wait while the bartender pours drinks for some men on the other side.
There is nowhere to sit in the entire place, and everyone is standing around with their drinks in hand.
When he’s finished with his customers, I try to get his attention, but the noise of everyone talking drowns out my voice.
He starts serving another customer with his back still to me.
“It’s a shame a lady can’t get a drink around here,” a man says as he walks up and stands beside me. He startles me as he appears so fast.
I try to be polite and just smile. I nod my head to acknowledge his comment.
I keep my eyes on the bartender, and I can see out of the corner of my eye the man beside me is still looking at me.
I turn my head and look directly at him.
I don’t recognize him so that gives me a wave of relief.
I eye the door behind him, and my exit is still clear.
The bartender has finished up and makes his way back to this side.
Before I can get his attention, the man beside me yells over the crowd to him.
“I’d like a large glass of water, and get this lady anything she’d like,” he says to the bartender as he motions to me.
“That won’t be necessary,” I say, trying to be polite to the man.
I don’t want the bartender to think that I’m with this stranger.
I turn my attention back to the bartender and ask him for more information about the rooms mentioned on the sign outside.
The bartender looks at me for a minute and makes the decision that I’m serious and I must have some way to pay him.
He tells me that the rooms are located above the bar.
It also includes a shower and my safety till the end of the next daylight.
He also makes a point to say, “We don’t want any trouble around here, and I try to keep it out of my rooms. If you’ve got yourself in a bind, keep moving. ”
I assure the bartender that I won’t cause a problem and that I’m just here for a day or two until I pass through.
He motions for me to come around to the end of the long bar, and I can see the man who was beside me trying to pay attention to our movements without being obvious.
When I get to the end of the bar, he asks me how I’ll be paying.
I ask him what items he needs for payment.
He mentions water pills, but I know those are too hard to come by so I tell him I have none.
I ask him if he’ll take a map, and I can tell by the look in his eyes that it will do.
I don’t need it being this close to Antelope Island.
“A map will buy you two nights upstairs and a cold glass of water,” he tells me as he smiles. His smile reveals a gold tooth. “Let’s not do the trade out in the open. Maps are hard to come by, and I don’t want to start a trading war,” he says.
“That’s fine. Just get me to the room, and I’ll give it to you,” I tell him.
I want out of the bar and into the shower.
The bar is growing hotter by the minute with more people filing in and out its door.
I’ve been up for almost 24 hours with my day travelling, and my eyes are growing heavier by the minute.
I take one last look toward the man that was at the bar beside me, but he appears to have lost interest. Good, I don’t need another person in my dreams tonight.
The bartender takes me through a door behind the bar, and it opens to a long wooden stairway lit by a gas lamp.
The stairs are so narrow we go up single file.
At the top of the stairs, it opens into a well-lit hallway.
He guides me down it, and I count six doors which can mean only six rooms. We stop at the end of the hallway and outside the last door.
He puts the key in the door and pushes it open to reveal the room.
Before I can step inside he says, “The map.”
I take the map out of the front pocket of my bag and give it to him.
He looks it over and seems pleased. He motions that I can go into the room.
He tells me that he’ll bring up my water before the sun rises and something for me to eat.
He tells me the shower is located down at the other end of the hall and that it’s a shared shower with the other rooms. He also tells me that the building locks down at sunrise.
If I’m not back inside before then, I’ll be locked out for the day.
He stresses payment or not, there are no exceptions to this rule.
I thank him for his kindness and go into the room.
I lock the door behind me and look through the peephole.
I walk further into the room and sit my bag down.
The room is small and only holds the necessities.
It has a gas lamp on the wall that is spreading light throughout the room.
There is a bed with clean sheets, a mirror and a small table.
The table holds one folded towel and a washcloth.
My room has a window on the far side of the bed, and I move the curtains to look out.
They match the dark green curtains downstairs in the bar.
From this vantage point, I can see the main street that the cart drove down.
The room isn’t a lot, but it will get me through the next two days and nights.
It’s the nicest place I’ve been since the disaster.
Here, I can rest and build my strength up before making the final day’s journey to the island.
I feel safe here. I might actually sleep through the night.
I’ll take a shower when I wake up, and tomorrow night will bring a new dawn…
or dusk. I’ll need to get some directions to Antelope, but it shouldn’t be too hard.
I can also get some supplies I need here.
I can feel it. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.