The train reached Los Angeles train station and I got out, in awe of how better the station was than the one in New york.
I felt great and relaxed knowing that I was finally out of New york, and a new life awaited me. I was alone, knew no one and had no place to go, so it also felt like shit to me. What was I even thinking? What was I supposed to do when my money finished? I was looking forward to answering those questions later, situations would have to answer them, not my mouth.

After getting out of the train, a little bit of time was killed as I wandered through the busy, alleyways and hallways of the train station, with onboarders and offboarders trooping like insects.
I took out a Quarter pounder with cheese meal from my bag. It still tasted good, but not too fresh because I had bought it in Lafayette, before getting on the train.
It felt like I haven't even tasted it before in my life. Well, at least before another catastrophe hit me, I would enjoy all my $50 burgers.
I nervously glanced around the station, having my way out, where another quarter pounder with cheese meal and a bottle of coke from a station mart took up more time.
And in no time, the cacophony of voices disappeared to meet the cocktail city of Los Angeles, followed by the cacophony of disruptive noises of factories, cars and trucks moving in solid masses, steaming steadily along the road.
Feeling the air was a wet, moderately cool, but frigid temperature.
In awe and speechless from the spectacular views, I took a cab, so I could see more of the city, with no destination in mind.
Going downtown Los Angeles, the traffic in the junctions slowed us down as we navigated the traffic lights down the road.
I was dropped at last, and once again kept wandering around the streets of downtown Los Angeles. And it did look expensive, from what I saw and observed, the city was deficient with its Central city east. There were fewer middle and lower income supported buildings. It wasn't the place for me.
And I took another cab, letting the driver know that I wanted to be out downtown. And yet, wasting another chunk of money.
The famed Los Angeles freeways connected the downtown and the suburbs, which outlined all over the region in a broad link of tangible ribbons.
The suburbs which stretched out in all directions seemed better for me.
My journey had taken me to San Pedro, LA. And I was ready to settle in, obviously, it wasn't going to be as much as an expensive place to live in, but does it matter though? All I had was $300. And when my burger finishes, I would be buying another one, and would spend the whole money on food. Well, survival is necessary; the stomach.
It was already 6pm and there was nothing much I knew to do at that time, so I sought for a place to rest my head, because the next day would be a good day– I thought.
I found a better corner at S. San Pedro street, although the environment looked rich.
****
You better leave the giant to its slumber, so they say. I wasn't a giant, I know. But haven't my problems been gigantic enough!? Why wouldn't life just let me be? It keeps squeezing lemons into my eyes, or should I make lemonades?
It wasn't even upto two hours after I closed my eyes to sleep that I opened my eyes to two masked, obviously novice robbers, with two pistols aimed right at me.
My heart skipped more than thrice, and I held my breath in the palm of my hands.
"Bitch, hand over your money!" They commanded, looking around nervously.
"What the fuck do you mean? I ain't got no money on me, I just came down from New york, I ain't got shit!" I protested. I wasn't going to give them that money, whatever it may take, I wasn't going to lose the very one thing that was going to keep me alive and up for at least two weeks or more, if managed well.
One of them kicked me on the side, and I winced in pain, while he pulled his hands down and inside my pocket, but the money wasn't there. I was going to fight him, probably push him down by his leg, just like I did to Pascal's girlfriend, but the other robber hit me on the head with the pistol.
"Yo! You got a death wish huh!? Well I'ma grant that wish bitch" he said angrily as he cocked his gun. The sound of the gun made my head tweak, and because they were novices, they could pull the trigger, even if it was by mistake, I thought for a split of second, as long as I have life, there will always be a way to survive, I was ready, be it a bait.
I reached for the pocket where I stuffed the $300, and handed it over to them with an angry and saddened heart. They snatched it away from me as if it was theirs, as if it was their fucking sweat!
I watched them run away and disappear into the cold night.
"Nooooo!!!" I yelled, kicking every piece that was near me, whether hazardous or not, what rang in my mind was that I had just lost my money! I had lost the money that would keep me good in Los Angeles, and there was no other way I knew, to get money.
I felt the world falling on me, pulling down my heart to the ground. I threw myself on the ground, hitting my hands on the ground, it wasn't helping, nothing was.
After a while, I stopped beating myself, I knelt down, looking up to heaven, while the crescent moon mocked the night with its illuminating shadows.
"Fuck this!" I yelled into the cold night, and stood up, taking my bag with me. I didn't know where I would go, but wherever my journey led me to, I was ready, ready to fight back at life.
I had walked for almost two hours, and was amazed by the eclectic nightlife all around the city, which obviously made me walk for that long, until I came upon a bar.
Crane's Bar downtown was at spring street, and I had walked up to there without even realizing it.
The street parking lots were filled up with night visitor's cars. Crane's Bar Downtown, as they say an intimate saloon residing in a once bank vault serving its beverages within an atmospheric setting.
I opened the door and climbed up the stairs to meet a fun, and cozy basement bar, with hits from the DJ moderately hovering around the room. It was pretty tight inside, but comfortable enough.
It had a touch of class, and a step above the average dive, with a handpicked, rotating beer selection, and shiny lights permised around.
I walked up to the bar and sat in the chair near the counter.
The blonde, short haired bartender brought a tumbler and poured in liquor.
"You look like you need it" she said nicely.
I haven't tasted liquor before, and hated it, but she was right, I needed it! After all, I was going to start trying things I had never tried before, starting that night, with a glass of liquor.
"Thanks" I said, I grabbed the glass on the bar top, still contemplating on whether to take it or not, I glanced around the room and found some people devouring theirs. My eyes met a sexy and extremely hot guy with clear brown eyes and a relatively olive complexion, wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, sitting across the bar alone, and on his table were more than five bottles of beer and cocktails, and he stared right back at me, with a wink.
"Oh bloody prostitutes" I hissed.
I took up the glass, and with my eyes closed, I emptied its content into my mouth. I didn't even want to taste it , so I let it in with a gulp, but of course, I still tasted it.
"Ouch, this is what people consume like milk" I dropped the tumbler and pushed it over to the bartender, and she moved to pour in again.
"Nah, I'm good, thanks" I said, forcing out a smile, she smiled back.
"So, what can I get you?" She asked, in a cool voice.
"Excuse me?" I never thought of ordering anything. You know why.
"Are you going to order something or what?" She asked
"Oh!" I exclaimed. I didn't want to piss the beautiful blonde off, and I couldn't afford to be thrown out either, I was planning on staying there all through the night, that is, if they stayed open all through the night.
"Okay what do you have? I'll like a glass of cocktail"
"Whiskey highball, old fashioned, sidecar—"
"No, no definitely not a hard one, I was thinking of something light, but if none is available don't wo—"
"Passion fruit martini, frozen strawberry daiquiri—"
"I'll take both then!" I said, with a giggle. Oh my, how was I going to tell her that I had no money to pay?