While in an apartment where I was living, I received a call from a woman named Shirley, who worked for a company from which I had rented a car. I was supposed to send the company a payment on the car, but I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. She wanted to know if I had the payment ready. I told her I did, and since the car company was only about four blocks away, I told her she could come and pick it up if she wanted to.

A fellow who reminded me of my old law school friend, Brian, was with me. I talked with him as I began going through a stack of letters to find the bill for the car. I come across a hand-written letter from my good friend Eloise. I knew Eloise had gone to Columbia, and I was unsure whether this letter was from Columbia, or whether Eloise had returned to her home in Mexico. After reading the letter, I concluded it looked as if it were from Columbia. It had a little map drawn on it to show where she was. She said something about her living with or near a judge in Columbia.

I showed the letter to the fellow with me and I suggested we both take off and just move to Columbia. I would love to do that, but I was uncertain that right now I would have enough money to be able to go.

***

I was at the car company where I intended to pay for the car. I wanted to pay now in advance for several months because I thought I wouldn't be here for around three months. I had the bill in my hand, but it was very confusing. Along with my name were the names of several other people who had rented cars and the amounts they must pay.

I finally found a figure which seemed to indicate the small white car I was renting was worth $3,100. I was unsure how much I was paying a month to rent the car, but it seemed as if it was around $100. I thought I might be better off to buy the car. But for the moment I was just going to pay what I owed and continue renting it.

I wrote out a check for $500. But I wanted Shirley to be aware that this was both for rent and for gas, which the car company also paid for. I also had some forms to fill out and I had to write down my driver's license number several times. The number was "10359X."

Finally I walked outside because I had been told that Shirley was going to arrive at any time. A van pulled up and a woman (perhaps 20 years old) stepped out. I asked her if she was Shirley, but she wasn't. I continued waiting.

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