Saturday
morning I awoke early in order to get to the bank before driving
downtown to the festival. My dramatic side had taken control; I
wanted to present the elusive magician a hat full of cash and
not have to write him a check. I felt it was more the way that
he, Max Vi, might have done it. Not really knowing what to
expect, I was a little anxious. However, I was still very eager
to see him. After all, I’d built him up to be so much in my
mind. Whatever this meeting brought, one thing for sure was that
it would brighten my somewhat drab existence – my so-called
life. Believe me, I needed a little excitement in my life.
By the time I withdrew the cash, drove down to
the festival, and wandered around town looking for a place to
park, it was already two-thirty in the afternoon. Due to a
practically perfect weather forecast, I was caught up in what
became the largest turnout in festival history. Traffic was
awful for Austin, so congested that traveling just five or six
miles took me almost an hour. The real trick was finding a
parking space once I was there. After a long search, driving up
and down the streets, I finally gave in and paid five dollars in
disgust. Then I headed out hastily toward the corner where I had
last watched the magician performing six months before.
