Chương 123: Chapter 106: San Francisco

After we got settled in the apartment, Al headed out to explore the Castro and Mahya and I sat down at our computers and started ordering books. I used up all the funds on my prepaid credit cards in less than an hour, and Mahya was in the same boat. So, we swiftly performed an online search and then headed to Walgreens to get more prepaid cards. To abide by the loading limits for each card, we completely emptied all their card stocks and loaded them to their maximum.

When we left the store, all the employees looked after us wide-eyed in shock. It took us all day, but finally, we finished with all the orders in the evening. Once again, I ordered all the textbooks on every subject under the sun.

Physics and Engineering Chemistry and Alchemy Biology and Botany Mathematics Astronomy and Navigation General Medicine Herbal Medicine and Pharmacology Survival and Wilderness Skills Agriculture and Food Production Construction and Architecture Literature and Philosophy Crafts and Manual Arts Music and Arts Additionally, I purchased a vast assortment of fiction and cooking books and songbooks containing music sheets for every instrument.

I was nice and got Al another set of books that covered a wide range of subjects I thought would benefit an Alchemist, including chemistry, historical alchemy, herbalism and botany, pharmacology and toxicology, geology and mineralogy, cooking and fermentation, and metallurgy. I've gone all out this time and bought many books on mechanical topics, covering everything from boats to airplanes. You can never tell what might come in handy.

Remembering the kids from Shimoor, I also ordered every coloring book I could find without text. Al wasn't back yet, and we both wanted to stretch our legs after a whole day of sitting, so we went for a bike ride on the Golden Gate Bridge and visited the Japanese Tea Garden. When we returned, we saw Al hadn't returned yet, and I remarked to Mahya, "I hope he shows up by the time we have to leave."

"If needed, we can always find him by sense. The Castro is not that big."

"True." The following day, we visited the Aquarium of the Bay. Rue found all the fish fascinating and kept trying to reach them. Every time he tried, his nose banged the glass, and he yelled in our minds,"Ouch!" But in a minute, he tried once more. By the time we finished the aquarium tour, my and Mahya's sides hurt from laughing, and Rue's nose looked swollen, even after I cast Healing Touch several times. At least he wasn't stressed that the fish were in captivity.

We sensed Al and followed the feeling on our way to the apartment. We found him in a cafe, sitting on the lap of a huge black guy. I sent him a mental message,"Be in touch every day or two, to know when we need to leave." He nodded slightly.

"I will."

"I think we're traveling with a slut," Mahya remarked.

"Nah, I think he's just cutting loose after being restricted for so long. He'll calm down at some point." She didn't look convinced, but let it go. When we returned to the building, the lobby was full of boxes with the Amazon logo. The concierge was giving us murderous looks as we entered. He tightly crossed his arms and glared daggers at us.

"What is the meaning of this? This is unacceptable!" he shouted, tapping his foot impatiently. I felt sheepish and avoided making eye contact.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry about the mess. More shipments of my online orders got delivered than I was expecting." The concierge's scowl deepened.

"Well, it's causing a huge obstruction. This can't keep happening." I quickly reached into my wallet to diffuse the situation.

"Please, let me make it up to you." I handed him $200.

"That's for your troubles. There are some more deliveries on the way that will arrive in the following days." His expression softened slightly as he uncrossed his arms, though he still looked mildly annoyed.

"I... well, I appreciate the tip. But you should know I'm not the only concierge here." I nodded quickly.

"Of course, of course. I'll leave tips for the others, too, then. I wouldn't want any of my packages getting 'misplaced." The concierge smirked ever so slightly.

"Yes, that would be wise. We'll keep an eye out for your shipments then." I gave an uncomfortable chuckle, relieved to have avoided his wrath but making a mental note to stay on good terms with the entire concierge staff from now on. Regrettably, it was not possible for us to store the boxes in front of the concierge or take the chance of a neighbor seeing us, so we had to go up and down the stairs with the boxes over thirty times until everything was in the apartment and we could store them.

When we were done, I was sweating like crazy, and my feet were in agony.

"Magic makes life so much easier," I commented to Mahya.

"Tell me about it."

"I'm too tired to start telling you stories." She laughed, and I headed to make dinner—we were both starving after the exercise. The following morning, I bribed the new concierge and explained the packages, and Mahya and I set out to explore. I wanted to visit Alcatraz, but Mahya wrinkled her nose and firmly informed me she had no intention of visiting a prison because it was depressing.

Instead, we visited Chinatown, did a lot of shopping, and then toured the Mission District and looked at the murals and street art. When we returned in the evening, tens of boxes were waiting for us again. At least it was the same concierge from the night before, so I didn't have to pay again. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

The next day, we visited the Haight-Ashbury, and Mahya told me she found a place that held open mic nights and signed me up for that night. That was a great idea! Maybe the Guidance will finally offer me the Bard class for free. In the evening, we went to Neck of the Woods on Clement Street, and the person in charge of the shows informed me I was going on stage in forty minutes.

I decided not to perform the song Sea & Sky because it was too personal, and let him know I would perform three songs with an acoustic guitar. It turned out Mahya coordinated backup musicians in advance—a keyboardist, electric guitarist, and drummer. We went to a rehearsal room and rehearsed the songs. When it was my turn to hit that stage, I was utterly relaxed—not a single butterfly fluttering around in my stomach. Maybe it was because becoming a famous singer wasn't my goal.

I just wanted to get the Bard class for free and share the songs I'd written about our incredible adventure. Standing at the mic, I sensed the warm glow of the stage lights cascading over me. I flashed a big, eager smile at the crowd gathered before me.

"Good evening, folks! Name's John, and a couple of friends and I recently sailed from Shanghai to San Francisco, making fun stops at lovely little islands along the way." I could see some intrigued looks and smiles from the audience as I set the scene.

"That voyage was very inspirational, so I wrote up some songs about it, and I'm stoked to share them with you tonight!" I gave them a playful wink, earning a few cheers of encouragement and whistles. The contagious positive energy increased my excitement even more. I kicked things off nice and mellow with"Waves of Wanderlust," lilting chords sailing smoothly over the gentle, breezy melody.

As I sang the breezy, nostalgic lyrics about crystal waters and beautiful skies, I noticed a few people whistling and clapping along spontaneously. An older couple towards the front started swaying together in a dance. When I strummed the final wistful chord, applause broke out across the room, much louder and more enthusiastic than expected. Alright, looking good so far! Feeding off that energy, I transitioned into"Joy of the Sea."

From the very first strums, I could see folks nod their heads vigorously and tap their feet to the beat. A few brave souls near the front stood up and started dancing. As the song picked up power, more bodies joined in, dancing wherever they could find space. The cheers and hollers egged me on, my pulse racing with exhilaration. By the conclusion, the entire room was dancing and cheering loudly, applause thundering in my ears. It was absolutely electric!

"Okay, one more for you all!" I shouted over the joyous roars, grinning uncontrollably.

"But first, Mahya, can you please stand up?" Mahya rose from her seat amid whistles and cheers, looking slightly flustered but wearing a massive smile.

"Mahya was with me on that glorious trip, and she's the genius who created the beat for this next song. She will clap it out for us, and I want you to join in, okay?" Mahya laid down the beat, which was nice and simple, clapping with perfect timing and rhythm. To my surprise, the crowd swiftly joined in, synchronizing their clapping perfectly to her rhythm. The sense of unified energy was palpable.

I joined in on guitar and launched into the opening chords of"Whispers of the Pacific," the crowd's unified clapping providing the thunderous backbeat. From the very first verse, the atmosphere was electrifying! People were dancing wherever they could find space, uninhibited and carefree. As I bellowed the words, I heard the crowd chanting and singing along to the words they picked up on, their voices joining with mine in a mighty swell. The energy just kept building to a fever pitch.

By the final harmonic chorus, the whole place was a raucous, breathless party. Everybody was on their feet, clapping, singing, dancing, and cheering with maximum energy and volume. I was soaring, playing my heart out up there, sweat beading on my brow as I gave every ounce of spirit to the music. I had never experienced a high like that—a pure, unbridled euphoria and blissful connection. As I strummed those last resonant chords, the room detonated in thunderous cheers, applause, and roars of approval.

All I could do was beam from ear to ear, overwhelmed and delirious with unrestrained joy and adrenaline. My body swayed, my heart pounded, and my face flushed up. On that stage, it felt like I was walking on clouds, flying over the Pacific once more. It was an indescribable, transcendent experience! No matter what came next, in that eternal moment, I was the happiest and most fulfilled person in the universe. It was a memory I would forever cherish and hold sacred. This was what music was all about.

Unfortunately, I quickly came back down to earth. Why? Because there was no flashing red light anywhere.

"Come on!" I complained in my head.

"That's not fair. If that's not worth getting the class for free, I don't know what is." Of course, I didn't get an answer. What else is new? When we returned to the apartment, Rue watched The Expendables at deafening volume as the gunshots and explosions rattled the windows. I couldn't understand it. Dogs' ears were sensitive. How on earth did he deal with such volume? On the table was a note from Al with a phone number and a request to send an SMS when it was time to leave.

"Look who has advanced to using technology," I told Mahya.

"About time." The next day, we visited City Lights Bookstore to see if there was anything that didn't catch our eye on Amazon. We bought so many books we had to order a delivery. At least I bribed the concierges so it wouldn't be a problem. I searched online and found a recording studio that offered walk-in recordings. When I called to schedule an appointment, they informed me I could come immediately, so we made our way to Hyde Street Studios.

I recorded the songs with a digital beat and some digital instruments to enrich the sound, and in the evening, I uploaded the songs to YouTube and Spotify. Perhaps it would help progress the class. Besides that, I was out of ideas. The following day, the traveler finally messaged me, saying he was getting on a train to Chicago. I sent an SMS to Al and informed him that today was his last day in the city.

Our original plan was to visit the Exploratorium, but the concierge told us that the Treasure Island Flea Market took place on that day, which only happens once a month. That sounded great. Based on previous experience with flea markets, I prepared the bike with the trailer in advance and recommended that Mahya also purchase a trailer. We found large trailers at a nearby bike shop, both for her and me, for Rue. He didn't want to join us and preferred to stay home to watch the movie Dredd.

I felt sorry for the neighbors and was thrilled we wouldn't be home all day. The Treasure Island Flea Market was fabulous, and we bought so many things we had to find an empty spot five times to empty the trailers again and again. In the evening, Al was finally back. I gave him all the books I bought for him, and he was very appreciative. We planned to rent a car and find out where to take off on a balloon the following day.