The Hunt for John Verruchi -- part two

(Please space down to read part one, published yesterday)

As John walked out of the airport the sun glared in his eyes and the heat from the sidewalks seemed to burn through his shoes. Never in his life had he felt so overpowered with fear and helplessness. He had no idea what to do or where to go. People were rushing by him with purposeful steps, not even looking further than their orchestrated destination. He felt like he was spinning and didn't know how to stop. Finally he remembered the list he and Sara made together the night before. Quickly he retrieved the folded paper from his pocket. The first on the list was to head to the offices of the New York Times to verify the accuracy of the obituary. Just as he folded the paper and placed it back in his pocket a cab showed up right in front of him. John got in the cab and asked the cab driver to take him directly to the New York Times paper office. Off they went as John tried to relax in the isolated back seat.

The drive to the offices was a welcomed 45 minutes. John had time to think and relax and call Sara on his cell phone. However, unfortunately, the safety of the cab was soon over and John reached his destination only to find out that the office was closed. It was 7:00 p.m. Of course! Why hadn't he and Sara thought of that? So John told the cab driver to take him to the motel that sara had made reservations. When he reached the motel, payed the cab driver, and checked in, he nearly ran to his room and closed and locked the door. Why did he think he could do this? Should he go home? John went to sleep exhausted, without eating, and worrying about the next day's events.

Things seemed so much better the next day. John felt rejuvenated and seemed to have a sense of confidence. So after showering and dressing he went downstairs and into the streets of New York City. John saw a glimmer of beauty for the first time. He grabbed a donut at a nearby bakery and just started to walk. He felt as if he were in a completely different planet and compared to Peabody he was. He wandered for almost an hour when he found himself at Central Park. This part of the city was absolutely beautiful and gave John a sense of security. He finally found surroundings he could relate to which gave him a peaceful feeling. In the distance he heard music and started following the beautiful sound. There in the in front of a beautiful fountain was a young man playing the saxophone. John sat near the boy and yet a safe distance away just to listen and enjoy.