'Another Suitcase In Another Hall' (2/2)

The cliffhanger was the hammer in the toolbox of serial storytelling, effective, ready to use, little subtle. So here is the continuation of yesterday's post.

Enjoying time, killing time - between these two poles I spent my Friday and still the anxious worry about my cough. A test could give me certainty. Only, there were no self-tests to buy in Argentina. There was also no infrastructure of public test centers here. So I used the time to contact people I had met in the past few days.

Without exception, I was assured that everyone was symptom-free and that a cold at this time of year was not unusual given the weather. I had also heard nothing from my last hostels. That reassured me and the mask sat a little looser again.

In the early afternoon, I held on to two cups of coffee in a beer and lunch place for over two hours, where I could also charge my mobile phone. Then change of location, in a green area, I made myself comfortable on a bench, let the sun warm me up and was able to log a rest hour for myself due to my lack of sleep.

My mood improved, worries disappeared and in the evening I sat down with a beer and updated the travel blog, a daily task that always put me in a positive mood. Extensive city tours and other activities were reduced to a minimum on this public holiday. From a health point of view, this break was certainly not wrong.

In the evening I met Sebastian and Ignacio. I had already been out with Sebastian on Tuesday and he offered himself as a local contact person. An offer that I gladly accepted. Sebastian was also symptom-free and he reassured me, so we arranged to meet for a beer in the evening. The shared beer simply tasted better. Ignacio, who lived around the corner in the nightlife district of Palermo, finally took pity on me and I was able to stay with him. A fortunate coincidence that spared me sleepless hours in the cold dawn.

Easter could come.

...

Afterword:

The epilogue was the ratchet in our toolkit for storytellers, as it was able to secure loose parts and yet was rarely used.

On Easter Saturday I was looking forward to my new accommodation, a shower and an extended afternoon nap like a proverbial snow king, when my mobile phone notified me of the arrival of an email. They were inconsolable, but today's reservation had to be canceled due to overbooking. I received this message three hours before check-in... Alternating between disbelief, frustration and flashes of revenge towards the unknown sender overcame me.

In the end, I decided to ignore the process, acted meekly and made my way to the new hostel. The young lady at the reception welcomed me and immediately reassured me with explanations that the booking problem had been solved and I could stay. I would have liked to do without the subsequent tension. Nevertheless, the goal of a long journey had been reached.

To conclude, let's take one last look at our toolbox and lo and behold, metaphors were the washers of successful storytelling.

Happy Easter everyone!!!