Sugarcane

<<set $backpack_open=false>>You go to the gate, wait in line with the other passengers, and soon enough you're on board.\n\n...\n\nWaiting for the train to leave, you gaze out the window at the people below. The quiet, the separation of riding a train alone is supremely relaxing.'<<set $location="train">><<set $from="train">>\n\n<<display "On the train">>\n

<<if $checked eq false>>You forgot to charge it; it's almost dead.\n\nThere's a text from your friend: "Good to see you again. Till next time. Have a good trip!"<<elseif $textback eq true and $textdaughter eq true>>Again? Nah.<<endif>><<set $checked=true>><<set $from="phone">>\n\n<><<if $textback eq false>>[[Text your friend back|Text back][set $textback=true]] <<endif>>\n<<if $textdaughter eq false>>[[Text your daughter. You miss her.|Text your daughter][set $textdaughter=true]] <<endif>>\nOr put the phone aside: \n[[Mess with your backpack|Open your backpack][set $from = "phone"]] \n<<if $bistro_visited eq false and $location neq "train">>[[Grab a bite to eat][set $from = "phone"]] <<endif>>\n<<if $location eq "bistro">>[[Go back to the waiting area][set $from = "phone"]] <<endif>>\n<<endnobr>>

<<set $backpack_open=false>><<if $from eq "phone">>You change your mind and snap your phone shut. Better to get back.\n\n<<endif>>\n<<set $train_arrived=true>><<set $location="train">><<set $from="waiting_area">>In the waiting area, you sit for only a few minutes before your train's listing on the electronic bulletin board begins to flash: "ARRIVING." You go to the gate, wait in line with the other passengers, and soon enough you're on board.\n\n...\n\nWaiting for the train to leave, you gaze out the window at the people below. The quiet, the separation of riding a train alone is supremely relaxing.\n\n<<display 'On the train'>>\n\n

<<set $backpack_open=false>><<set $location="bistro">><<if $from eq "phone" or $from eq "backpack">>Maybe you'll mess with your stuff in a minute. <<endif>>A bistro off the main waiting area sells sandwiches, salads and the like. It's innocuous and not-greasy. Perfect.\n\n[[Order a sandwich]]<<set $bistro_visited=true>><<set $from="bistro">>

<<set $backpack_open=true>><<if $backpack_opened neq true>>Inside, the little laptop you're so proud of. The Kindle you love. You can't help it, you've always liked technology. Even if you are cheap. There //is// a basic analog spiral in here too. <<endif>>[[Turn on the laptop]] <<if $from neq "Kindle">>[[Turn on the Kindle]] <<endif>><<if $spiral_seen neq true>>[[Grab the spiral]] <<endif>><<if $textback eq false or $textdaughter eq false>><<if $from neq "phone">>[[Check your phone]] <<set $from="backpack">><<endif>><<endif>><<if $bistro_visited neq true and $location neq "train">>[[Grab a bite to eat]] <<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>[[Go back to the waiting area]]<<endif>><<set $backpack_opened=true>>

<<set $spiral_seen=true>><<set $from="spiral">>Inside, just some basic notes about things to do in the coming days. Not important right now. You put it back.\n\n<<if $try_laptop neq true>>[[Turn on the laptop]] <<endif>><<if $kindle_read lte 1>>[[Turn on the Kindle]] <<endif>><<if $spiral_seen neq true>> [[Grab the spiral]] <<endif>><<if $textback eq false or $textdaughter eq false>>[[Check your phone]] <<endif>><<if $bistro_visited neq true and $location neq "train">>[[Grab a bite to eat]] <<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>[[Go back to the waiting area]]<<endif>>

<<set $textback=true>>"Thanks!"\n\n//Sent.//\n\nYou smile to yourself. It's too early to send much else. The things worth saying were said in person.\n\n<<if $textdaughter eq false>>[[Text your daughter]] <<endif>><<if $backpack_open eq false>>[[Open your backpack]] <<if $location neq "bistro" and $location neq "train">>[[Grab a bite to eat]] <<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>[[Go back to the waiting area]] <<endif>><<else>><<display 'Open your backpack'>><<endif>>\n

<<set $from="laptop">><<if $location neq "train">><<set $try_laptop eq true>>Ehh, no point. Too involved. The train will be here very soon. Better just to wait.\n\n[[Turn on the Kindle]]\n<><<if $spiral_seen neq true>>[[Grab the spiral]] <<endif>><<if $textback eq false or $textdaughter eq false>>[[Check your phone]] <<endif>><<if $bistro_visited neq true>>[[Grab a bite to eat]] <<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>\n[[Go back to the waiting area]]<<endif>><<endnobr>><<set $try_laptop=true>><<else>>\n<<set $train_laptop=$train_laptop+1>><<if $train_laptop lte 2 and $textdaughter eq false>>You open the laptop and work on one of your stories for a bit. But you can't seem to concentrate at the moment. You close the laptop again and look out the window.\n\n[[Turn on the laptop]] <<if $from neq "kindle">>[[Turn on the Kindle]] <<endif>><<if $spiral_seen neq true>>[[Grab the spiral]] <<endif>><<if $textback eq false or $textdaughter eq false>><<if $from neq "phone">>[[Check your phone]] <<endif>><<endif>><<elseif $train_laptop eq 3 and $textdaughter eq false>>Maybe you'll find inspiration in a moment.\n\n[[Turn on the laptop]] <<if $from neq "kindle">>[[Turn on the Kindle]] <<endif>><<if $spiral_seen neq true>>[[Grab the spiral]] <<endif>><<if $textback eq false or $textdaughter eq false>><<if $from neq "phone">>[[Check your phone]] <<endif>><<endif>><<elseif $train_laptop eq 4 and $textdaughter eq false>>Inspiration eludes you for now. You feel a persistent thought tickling the back of your head, but it's not here yet. You turn off the laptop, lean your head against the window, and look outside.\n\n//fin.//\n\n<<else>>You open the laptop and work on one of your stories for a bit. You think about your life. You're "middle-aged." Half-minority. Working-class background. First-generation college graduate. Statistically, you feel like you've gotten about as far as someone from your background might be expected to, and that's about it.\n\nYou feel caught between two worlds. The world you come from and the world given to you by books and education, a world you're grateful for and yet it seems strangely just out of reach.\n\nYour daughter's other parent comes from better circumstances. You can see how this helps your daughter.\n\nSomewhere in your brain, recently, you realized you won't be passive about this anymore. You will //choose how// you shape your daughter. And you will be more than passively shaped. You will shape yourself.\n\nYou shut the laptop, lean your head against the train window, and look outside.\n\n//fin.//\n<<endif>><<endif>>

<<set $location='waiting_area'>>The train will be here in 30 minutes.\n\n[[Grab a bite to eat]]\n[[Open your backpack]]\n[[Check your phone]]

[[Open your backpack]]\n<<if $textdaughter neq true or $textback neq true>>[[Check your phone]]<<endif>>

<<set $from = "Kindle">><<set $kindle_read=$kindle_read+1>><<if $kindle_read eq 1>>Okay.\n\nAt the moment you're reading a Doris Lessing novel about her days as a communist in South Africa during World War II. As usual, her writing is incisive, clear and enjoyable.\n\n...\n\n<<elseif $kindle_read eq 2>>You make a little more progress in A Ripple from the Storm.\n\n...\n\n<<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>After a bit of reading, you realize it's about time to go!\n\n[[Go back to the waiting area]]<<elseif $location eq "waiting_area" and $kindle_read gte 3>>After a bit of reading, you hear the loudspeaker announce your train. Time to go!\n\n[[Board the train]]<<elseif $location eq "train" and $kindle_read gte 3>>Your read for a bit. And then, after a little while, you close the Kindle and put it back in your pack.\n\n<<display 'Open your backpack'>><<else>>After a while, you get fidgety.\n\n<<display 'Open your backpack'>><<endif>>\n\n\n\n

Train Station

You take your sandwich and drink to a little table by a window and sit. You love watching the people bustling by. You feel that the future is open to you. You feel loved and satisfied.\n\n[[Check your phone]]\n[[Open your backpack]]\n

Miguel\[email protected]

<<set $textdaughter=true>>"Baba! See you in a couple days. xo"\n\n//Sent.//\n\nYour daughter is six years old, and growing quickly. She's now like a sapling, lean and thin and springing towards the light. The question, you've recently realized, is how do you want to influence her?\n\n<<if $textback eq false>>[[Text your friend back|Text back]] <<endif>>[[Open your backpack]]\n<<if $train_arrived neq true and $location neq "bistro">><<if $location neq "train">>[[Grab a bite to eat]] <<endif>><<endif>><<if $location eq "bistro">>[[Go back to the waiting area]]<<endif>>\n\n\n