Chapter Thirty-One:

Roughly a day later

The worst part about traveling is not being able to get clean when I want to. Right before meeting Francine for the first time almost two years ago, I chewed about half a pack of gum and quickly wiped under my arms with deodorizing cloths. It wasn’t very pleasant, but at least I smelled nice enough for a proper first impression. I’d been too anxious to remember to purchase a package of those disposable cloths before leaving Siberia, and I finished my last piece of gum right after switching planes for the final time in Minneapolis three and a half hours ago. I tried not to think about it for much longer, because the third and final plane I was riding on finally landed. As soon as I received decent signal strength on my cellphone, I’d call an Uber and head home to shower immediately before going to the hospital my girlfriend was admitted into.

Sick or not, I refused to allow Francine to see me in such a