Back to Alexandria.

Today came the day when Benito came back to reclaim Alexandria, VA. He had been there on numerous occasions to escort his then gf, Ms. Yukiko, around. Now, at that time, she had been the fiancee of an aspiring banker and tax-collector. She had laid out her guts on a picnic blanket near the waterfront for Benito to see, explaining about the ex-husband and how he had left her all alone. Now, Benito felt rather alone as his "other Asian friend" had to go to the lab on that day. But he happened to land a parking place in a parking lot near the waterfront on that day and decided that he might as well spend some time there, as he wanted to reclaim the territory for himself, so off he went to seek his fortunes for that day in Alexandria. Now it just so happened that there was a parade going on that day and Benito rejoiced, for he had not seen a parade in quite some time, and this parade turned out to be an Irish one and early celebration of St. Patrick's Day! "What luck have I!" exclaimed Benito to himself and watched as the Scottish bag-pipers, Irish fifers, Revolutionary and current military band, as well as the African-American contingent paraded in front of him. It was quite the sight! The Ambassador's words were heart-warming, moreover, and spoke to that shared experience of all immigrants, and indeed her message was a political one, hoping for major immigration reform within the year. And indeed that was an appeal to Pres. Obama. Indeed, the parade was a kind of show for the Ambassador, who has only been in office for a total of six months, but seems quite congenial, at least that is what Benito thought. Benito stood near a few children, totaling some ten-fifteen kids, who got most of the candy. He was a little late in reaching for a green, St. Patty's Day necklace. The line was pretty long at O'connells, so Benito headed down the street after a time to eat a cupcake in a non-descript locale. He looked out the window and saw a couple going into a restaurant across the way. Too bad Benito did not have a date on this day, but he was satisfied. He went to Starbucks and read a page of the Gide biography of Dostoevsky, who Benito was seeking to emulate in his most recent writings. Indeed, it seemed that Benito sought to imitate whatever he was reading at the time, from Beckett to Joyce and the Russian greats. Nothing seemed to stick in his memory on the day of the parade, so Benito pocketed the book, took his coffee, and exited the Starbucks. He happened to espy an Asian girl who stood seemingly mesmerized there at the end of his time in Alexandria. She followed him out the door and he held it for her. He turned back to receive a smile in thanks from the Chinese girl, but Benito did not seek to start a conversation. She walked up King St. and Benito, turning back, lost her in the crowd. Benito, on the other hand, continued down the road towards his car, tipping his hat to the cops in their own formidable hats as he went. The parking only cost $4, which was to be expected. On a less cold day, he might have read outside by the water, but it was somewhat windy on that day, so Benito was content to go back to Washington via the George Washington Memorial Bridge and continued up the Parkway without a hitch, back home to his little dog and his home near the Park on 16th St. & Colorado avenue. A-men.  <iframe src="http://www.indiegogo.com/project/the-undiscovered-hanakuso/widget" width="224px" height="486px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>