What was that? I stop the car, go back a few meter. There stands on a large, meagrely lit up board: „Bet and Breakfast!“, „Motel Santa Lucia 30 Miles“, „Come in an you have a wonderful night, beautiful dreams and a good day for your trip tomorrow!“  Well, if that does not sound inviting. Exactly that will be the place, at which I will make rest, me rest, little thing eat, a few hours sleep. Just as meagrely as the advertising sign also the yard of the motel is lit. Over the main house the signature flickers „Santa Lucia“, „the n“ looks in an irregular rhythm, „the t“ seems to be defective and in the Word „Lucia“ are some lamps defective, so that one must more or less suspect the name. Hopefully the motel is not as unsatisfactory as their advertising sign.

With quiet quiet I open the door. Behind an old dingily bar I recognize unreal the bald head of a man. It sits in an old ear armchair before a still many older television and sees a monochrome photographic film. It smells after vanilla and the small area is so smoked that one only dares the old photos at the opposite wall recognize can. It does not have my occurring noticed under the immense volume of its TV-equipment. „Sir?” “Sir?” It reaches and constitutes hasty for the remote maintenance it. „Boy lady, I it come not at all purely heard.” No like also, I thought. „Credit it for one night a room for me?” I wanted to complete as fast as possible, because the scenario was that of a typical Hollywood movie from the 70ern, in which each moment an axe murderer would jump around the corner and whom old man and afterwards me without preliminary warning and reason kill and would carve up. A ice-cold shower crept me slowly over the backs. „Natural, Mam. Do you have a special desire?” Could which special desires be here met? “No, only one bed for the night and a little thing to meals.” “To meals it gives not until tomorrow early somewhat, but outside an automat with some Snacks stands, there you determine something find.” I could also myself have thought that. „Rooms 2, sign you here. Give me 30 $ for the night. Breakfast gives’s from 7 to 8, says you to answer, when you want to have brought it on the room and whether them coffee or what do you wish.” „Bringing you me against 7 only a coffee, with it I am already content.” I would remain not longer than absolutely necessary for no bites from the internal kitchen at this place and already would get down. There then rather hold I at the next Dinner, which meets me then. I put the money on the table, reach fast the key and legend only into going „to thanks, Sir.” “Property night, Mam, and pleasant dreams!” the old man me re-ringed. If the window blind had not been so dark and uncanny, one could have understood this sentence even as friendly gesture, then it sounded rather as a kind threat, because a well meant desire. On the windowpane of the snack automate in such a way specified a large sign me flaunted the label „Out of order!” Property I something else expects? But probably not. The lamp over the room door was out, but intuitively probably, I had parked the car directly before it. Thus I help with the headlights to something light, got myself my bag from the trunk and unlocked the door. An easily moldy smell came to meet me, typically for these old motels along the Highways. The room was rather old-fashionably furnished with together suitable furniture very Spartan. Nothing the despite, it was cleanly, that bed perfectly freshly referred, the washing basin and the shower in an adjacent small bath freshly cleaned, the armatures highly polished and it lay still the fresh smell of the bath cleaner in air. A shower will do to me now particularly well and to me the dust of the Interstate from the hair and the face will wash. I crept into the bed and fell asleep immediately.

I was already fixed and tightened as it on the next morning at my door knocked and a woman voice called „good morning, Mam, it am 7 o'clock and I have the coffee for you.” I opened the door and small woman, approx. End of 30 with short, black hair and dark-brown eyes held out a small tray to me. „Good mornings.” I put a 10-dollar light for it into the bag of the smock apron, removed from it the tray and thanked you. I fell the coffee down, because I wanted as fast as possible away here the road to my unknown goal.