TWO WEEKS EARLIER
Dull, loud music drowned out all other sounds. The bass was palpable in the lungs. The cabin seemed clean and odorless, unnaturally sterile. A blacklight lamp above the entrance door bathed the toilet in almost complete darkness, where only the powder fluoresced. Someone divided it into four equal lines on the toilet lid and handed Nuno a tightly rolled hundred-euro bill. Once everyone was done, they returned to the dance floor, where the usually shy Nuno, now freshly confident after a snort, immediately made eye contact with a foxy blonde. Her straight hair was tied back in a ponytail. She wore only a sports bra with her jeans, and her skin glistened with sweat. He grinned at her, and she smiled back at this slightly foreign-looking, visibly energized young man. Someone handed him a cold beer, which he passed to her without a sip. She took a big gulp. From then on, they danced voluptuously and in high spirits all night.
Until Nuno glanced at the clock in shock. "How could he be so stupid and party on a weekday?" he scolded himself. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, ran to the exit and out into the dark morning, which had yet to decide whether it would snow or rain, jumped into a cab, and went home to shower. Then he put on his new Bottega Veneta suit, a fresh white shirt with cufflinks underneath, casually tucked a pocket square into his breast pocket, swallowed a Ritalin with his espresso, slipped into his vintage Gucci canvas sneakers, and headed to the office. He had two meetings in the morning. For lunch, he invited important banking clients, but not before he had swallowed some meth with a vodka tonic. In the afternoon, he made calls to clients in the U.S. before finishing his weekly report in the evening. Late at night, he met with Mia. Since he had promised her they would go out together that night, he took some more amphetamines to stay awake. Later in the club, he vomited several times.
On Sunday, he boarded the plane, solo, heading to Ethiopia.
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Exit Eudaimonia
ДуховныеThe novel describes the protagonist Nuno's inner journey to himself. The story tells of his difficult childhood, his search for recognition and attention, and his deep longing to find his place in this world. As if driven, he goes from one painful...
