James' POV.
The bus James boarded finally arrived at one of the bus stations in Detroit city. And just as it took 10 hours and some minutes for the first bus James boarded to drive from Detroit city to Atlanta, it took this bus 10 hours and some minutes to drive from Atlanta to Detroit city. And definitely, it was nighttime already. After the driver had parked the bus properly, all the passengers started descending from it.
James wasted no time as he stood up from the chair, wore his backpack, and descended from the bus also. James was bored throughout the journey, it was such a long one and he had nothing to keep himself busy with, all he did was think until he got tired of thinking. It was nighttime already, so he wouldn't be able to do much apart from finding where to take his nap.
He wasn't hungry 'cause he ate something heavy along the way, the driver knew that most people would be hungry, and he was hungry too. So he stopped at the front of a certain restaurant so passengers on the bus could eat something. There was no food store around, so everyone had to eat well-prepared food from the restaurant...no purchase of fast foods and stuff like that.
James needed to eat something too at that moment, and he noticed a family feasting on a certain dish, it was enticing...so he ordered for that same dish. Unknown to him, the food was heavy on carbohydrates. After eating the food, he felt like he wasn't gonna eat anymore, he felt like the food wasn't gonna digest...he could feel the heaviness of it in his stomach.
What made him order for the food was 'cause he saw a family feasting it, and it enticed him, so he decided that he was gonna eat it too not knowing that it was heavy on carbohydrates. But he wasn't uncomfortable after eating the food, he just felt a bit heavy. So at this moment, James wasn't interested in eating dinner at all, all he needed was a nap.
He planned to check out the building where the music audition was gonna take place once they arrive in Detroit city. Locating the building wouldn't be that hard for him since he knew the name of the boulevard where the edifice was located, but he wouldn't be able to do that now 'cause it was late in the night already.
The bus station was almost clear of passengers as almost everyone had evacuated it. It was remaining James and some other people in it. What was he standing here doing? He quickly got to his senses and started strolling out of the bus station. Getting out of the bus station, he found himself in the middle of a boulevard. What was he gonna do now? Was he gonna spend the night in a hotel? He was really spending the money he had on him. The money was definitely gonna finish as far as nothing was adding to it.
That's why he'll need to find something to do while trying to attain his dream of becoming an artiste, precisely, he'll have to find a job. But who was the person that was gonna employ an inexperienced 15 years old boy like him? He doesn't have any work experience and he wasn't even done with high school. Not to talk of the type of job he was gonna engage in? Definitely not a white-collar job.
He wasn't even done with high school not to talk of going to college and graduating from it. So which manager in his or her right mind would dare to employ him in their company?...that would be a very stupid thing to do. So, most likely, the type of job he was gonna later end up doing could be either, working in a food store, working in a bar, and who knows...he could even end up doing menial jobs.
He kept on strolling along the boulevard, it wasn't empty of people, people were still sauntering about on it. James knew that he'll have to sleep in a hotel once again, he was a f**king homeless dude. If only he could find a hotel as quickly as possible, he wasn't in the mood to start roaming about in search of a hotel. He sauntered for some minutes, and still, he hadn't found a hotel.
He glanced at his side and sighted a chair, he wanted to sit down for a bit, so he walked to the chair and sat on it. Sitting down, he began thinking about the music audition he had plans of participating in, he knew that participating in the audition was just like trying his luck. Most likely, he wouldn't even make it past the audition, do you know how many talented singers are gonna be present there? He wouldn't even stand a chance. But as known, it's better to try than to not try at all.
He rested his head on the wall where the seat was positioned. You know that mindset of 'Let me rest a little before I continue moving?', yeah, that was exactly what was on James' mind. He felt like he should rest his head a bit before he continues sauntering in search of a hotel...but he was about to make a big mistake. He rested his head on the wall and closed his eyes.
'Just a little rest, and I'll continue searching for a hotel'. James thought to himself.
After some minutes of resting his head on the wall, he dozed off. He didn't even know when he dozed off, someone that just wanted to rest his head for some minutes.
*******
James was woken by the continuous tapping on his arm, he opened his eyes to see the face of a man. He quickly got up from the chair a bit alarmed, who was this f**king man? The man glanced at him and inquired,
"Did you sleep here?".
That was when James realized that he was outside, he just got up from the chair he sat on to rest a little. He was so confused that he questioned himself,
"Did I sleep here?".
"Yeah, seems like you slept here, it's morning already, though it's still early".
James couldn't believe that he dozed off sitting on this chair from that night to this morning. And if not that this man waked him, he'll still be sleeping by now. He quickly dipped his hand into his pocket to check if his money were still intact, who knows, this man could have robbed him before waking him up. He counted the money and it was complete.
Then he scampered over to his backpack to check the stuff in it, and they were all intact. Apart from the fact that the man could have robbed him before waking him up, thieves that roam about in the night could have taken some of his stuff and money...he wouldn't be aware 'cause he was fast asleep. The man had already discerned what was going on, he had discerned that James was suspecting him of robbery. So he asked,
"Are you suspecting that I took some of your stuff before waking you?".
"Umm...it's not like that, the fact is that the world isn't a better place yet. So I'm just being cautious". James replied.
"If I really wanted to rob you, I would have taken your backpack, search your pocket and take the money in it, then walk away, as simple as that. I wouldn't even bother to wake you up".
James didn't say anything, what the man said was the absolute truth, it was as easy as that. The man uttered once again,
"Sleeping right on this chair was risky stuff, you wouldn't even have needed to suspect me of stealing your stuff. Those thieves and hoodlums that do roam about in the night would have robbed you of everything and walk away. You would have woken up to see that your backpack and money were gone...you were just fortunate. Don't ever sleep in the middle of a boulevard like this again, it's even better to sleep in a hidden place if you've got no home. Just a piece of my advice".
After making that statement, the man walked away. James couldn't still believe that he slept on this chair from that night to this morning. That's why it isn't safe to have the mindset of 'Let me rest a little before I engage in' whatever stuff, especially when you feel tired. Thank goodness that he wasn't robbed while he was fast asleep...thank goodness!
He glanced around, it was still very early in the morning, the sky wasn't fully brightened yet. He'll wait until when everywhere had brightened, then he'll try locating the boulevard where the audition for the 'Shining stars' music contest was gonna take place.