Free Dreams Ltd by Veronica Melan Page A

but not about me and soon enough I won’t be a part of this anymore.
     
    As I glanced at the clock I realised that it was quite late.
     
    “I think I’m going to go, it’s late…”
     
    “Yeah, I’m going to bed too.” Jenny stretched and got up from her chair.
     
    We stopped at the door.
     
    “Don’t worry too much, it just looks like it is hard to live here but you’ll get used to it.”
     
    I shivered inconspicuously; I didn’t want to get used to being here, I didn’t want even to think about it.
     
    “And thank you for the jam.” She smiled and her face transformed into quite a pretty one again. “It doesn’t look like I’m going to get slimmer anyway so at least I can make myself happy by eating sweets.”
     
    “You are welcome. And you know where I am, so come whenever you want to.”
     
    “Ok.
     
    I said “goodbye” and left her apartment.
     

     
    I woke up late, probably affected by the fatigue I’ve had for the past two days. After I washed my face and brushed my teeth I sat on the bed and started thinking about my plans for the day ahead. The most important thing was to find Laroche as soon as possible and if I want to find him I have to travel somewhere within the city. If I have to travel I will need some points or coupons to pay for the taxi or bus and if I need coupons I have to pay for them with the money I got from The Corporation. Everything seemed so practical and simple but there were a few more questions in my mind: where can I find an exchange point and where do I start my search for Laroche?
     
    After pondering about the first question I came to a conclusion that it’ll be easier to pay for the taxi with coupons I still have and then, after I get more “credits” I’ll think about Laroche again.
     
    I had a quick breakfast of some toast and jam (there was a third jar in the fridge), brushed my hair, put the trainers on and left the house. I decided not to carry the parcel around with me all day long - nobody can guarantee I’ll find Laroche today. A bundle of bank notes was sitting at the bottom of my bag. Should I exchange all the money straight away or keep some back for later? The answer to this question could only be found at the exchange point.
     
    The day was hot and unbearably humid. As I left the Bell-Oak Park territory I headed up another street where there was more cars were driving by. It didn’t take me long to catch a taxi - not too many people were so keen on paying a lot for the pleasure and most of them preferred to wait for the bus that just stopped at the bus stop not very far from where I was standing. “Bell-Oak Boulevard” was the name of the bus stop. I memorised the name of the street and approached the yellow “Tazi” at the curb.
     
    A puffy-faced fellow was already impatiently tapping his fingers on the dusty steering wheel.
     
    “Where would you like to go?”
     
    “I need you to find an exchange point where I could buy some coupons for money.”
     
    The driver nodded towards the passenger seat as though saying “get it”.
     
    I sat on the back seat.
     
    “How much will it cost to go to the nearest one?” I clarified about the “nearest” point deliberately because I didn’t want to be taken to the other end of the city.
     
    The guy got the hint.
     
    “One and a half coupons. It’s not that far from here.”
     
    I gritted my teeth - that was expensive, I’ll only have two coupons left after this ride, but then this was exactly why I was going to go to the exchange - to get some more of them.
     
    “Let’s go.”
     
    The driver scratched his unshaved cheek, glanced at the side mirror, honked at a slow pedestrian and merged with the traffic.
     

     
    The building where the exchange point was located looked fairly decent: a four-storey glass construction was shimmering in the sun displaying many shades of blue, only the name was a bit of a let-down - “TallyBank”. This word caused an unpleasant association