The River Speaks

Chapter Thirty Four: The Red Light District

Chapter Thirty Four: The Red Light District

It wasn't until I got off the plane that I realized I've never even left the states. I bought a passport a year ago because I thought it would motivate me to go.

Well now I'm in the Netherlands and nobody speaks English.

I kind of stand off to the side and hear everyone speaking some weird language.

I pull out my phone and frantically start doing research.

What language do they speak in Amsterdam

Dutch. They speak Dutch.

Shit. Okay.

I spin around in a circle looks at the signs.

Somebody needs to know how to speak English.

I text Reese.

Me: does Aiden know Dutch

Reese: no wtf lmfao

Me: ok did you know everyone in Amsterdam speaks goddam Dutch? I didn't

Reese: you flew to a foreign country with no plan, with no idea how to speak their language? What's your plan? How the hell are you going to get a ticket back to usa?

Me: my plan is to find Aiden and hope he has a plan

Reese: how are you going to search and entire city

Me: youre not helping.

Reese: google translate

I snap my fingers and open google.

How does this work? Where am I going to look?

I text Aiden's Mom.

Me: hey Jackie, it's Lily. I kind of didn't realize nobody in Amsterdam knows English and I have no idea where to look

After nearly twenty minutes of me standing around panicking, my phone vibrates.

Ms. Jackie: check the red light district. That's one of the scenes in the book. And use some translating program

Me: okay, thank you

I google the red light district and wander around the airport until I find the exit.

I use maps to find my way there, panicked.

Amsterdam is fucking beautiful, so I stop and take a couple of pictures.

My phone chimes and I glance down at it.

Reese: ya know if you're going batshit traveling, Aiden took Italian in college

I think of what Jackie said to me.

Lily, in that book...they travel. The people in that book start out in Amsterdam and go to Venice, Sydney, Paris-

Venice is in Italy.

Where they speak Italian.

Reese: does that help

I stop walking.

If it was me, I would go to a country where I at least might understand some of their language.

I run my fingers through my hair and sigh.

I'm tired.

How far are the Netherlands from Italy? Are they even on the same continent?

Wow. I guess I should have paid attention in Geography.

I pull out my phone and start searching.

It's through Germany and Austria. But the flight is only a hundred and ninety two dollars.

Can I pay for a flight with American dollars? How do I get Dutch money?

I feel overwhelmed and I'm scared.

If Aiden is following the book, my gut is telling me he's in Italy.

I don't know Italian. I don't know Dutch. I don't know German. I don't know French.

I'm damn good at English though.

I squat down with my back against the brick wall, burying my head in my hands.

I just need to find Aiden.

I wipe the tears in my eyes and google:

Can I buy a plane ticket with American dollars in Amsterdam?

It gives me step by step directions on how to exchange money.

But it's complication. I don't know how to fucking navigate.

I just need to find Aiden. He can help.

You're going to regret this. You're going to wake up one day and realize that you just made the biggest mistake of your entire life. And you're going to be alone. I'm not going to be there. I'm not going to be the shoulder for you to cry on. I'm not going to be the one to save you.

I shut my eyes. I can see him. I can see the pain in his face.

I look up at the sky and mumble, "God, why did you have to let me get so fucked up? Couldn't you just just let me walk in front of a bus and Aiden pulled me out of the way and we fell in love that way?"

Sighing, I push myself to my feet.

I just need to find Aiden, and then everything will be okay again.

*****

It took so long to find my way on a plane to Venice, mostly because the flight wasn't until the next day, so I sat around the airport and read books all night.

I can't do anything else. I can't go to sleep because there's nowhere for me to sleep. I don't want to exchange too much money into euros because I'm not staying long.

I feel the plane touch down and I take a deep breath.

I miss my fellow grease-eating American's.

Everyone is speaking Dutch on this plane.

When I get off, nobody is speaking Dutch.

Now it's Italian.

I text Jackie.

Me: I'm in Venice where do I go

I'm so freaking tired it's not even funny.

I think about going home, and then when that crosses my mind, I think of Aiden and how easily he could meet a cute Italian girl.

I'll just be a distant fucked up memory.

That can't happen.

Ms. Jackie: the grand canal

Me: thank you so so much

Ms. Jackie: please have him call me when you find him. You're not the only one worried

Me: I'll have him call you, I promise

The grand canal.

Nodding to myself, I get directions on Google and take a city bus. I use google translate to help me find my way. When the bus stops at my location, my stomach drops.

The grand canal is...it's a canal, obviously, and there's walking on both sides.

I'm going to have to search both sides.

I sigh.

I'm never going to find him.