Chapter17:

CHAPTER 17.  JOB-HUNT  HARA I shrieked as another thunderbolt tore through the clouds. It was heavier than the ones before it and it struck down a flower vase.  I took refuge in a newspaper vendor store and watched the owner of the flower vase in the next store weep for her loss. There were so many flower vases on display. And this was a small, market area, so there was no doubt what just broke was a huge loss.  She struggled to take them inside, and I would have helped if I was still cleared for such tedious work. My pregnancy had me tied in a knot. I looked up at the cloud hopefully, but its gloominess killed whatever hope might have sprung up in me. There was no sign the rain would be ceasing anytime soon. So we were still at the mercy of these thunderbolts. My raincoat was drenched from the many hours I spent in the rain. I've been out all morning, just like every other morning for the past week. It's been a week since I quit working at the bar. I hadn't realized my rash decision w