The man had said 2008, not 2000. Was Borgadus time machine faulty? If it was, will it at least take him back directly home and not make a mistake? All these thoughts were running through Abraham's head as he walked out of the tavern. He'd thanked the young man for the piece of information and left the place quickly, as he did not like the glances he was getting from other men in the room.
James had warned him that he would be treated as odd, and the best way to avoid a situation would be to always be on the move. He'd gotten to the streets and had been momentarily stunned at the number of people moving around. There seemed to be people everywhere he looked. No greenery, no fields of green, just hard concrete on the floor which was shaped in little bricks, and long poles that he concluded must light up the streets at night. He was glad that it seemed America had learnt to harness electrical power properly in the year 2008. Their clothes were funny though. The people wore different colours like they were little rainbows, and the styles were inproper and inadequate. One young girl passed by him wearing what he could not even term as appropriate for swimming, he had to turn the other way to hide his gasp.
As he walked along he saw that more people were headed in the direction he'd chose. Most of them were wearing emblems that showed a man. His curiousity piqued, Abe asked a young man what the man's name was, and the reply he got was curt, and the look unbelieving. "Obama."
Abe had nodded and thanked the man before moving along. He found a young girl all covered in badges and the national flag.
"Hello Lady," He said, bowing low before continuing. "I have been out of town for a while, please can you tell me what is happening here?"
The girl stared at him, as if expecting him to smile and tell her he was joking. When he didn't she smiled instead.
"I wonder where you went that you don't know what is going on in the US, but I will humour you." she began. "Today America will choose between the most controversial candidates to lead her for the next four years. The Republican candidate, Senator McCain is an old army general who has the unfortunate luck of being preceded by a president that dragged the party's name in mud all through his stay. The Democrat is a black man, who's father is Kenyan?"
"Kenyan?" repeated Abe, who was relieved to find someone that was willing to talk.
"You know, an African." continued the girl. "And his middle name is Hussein, and his name rhymes with the greatest terrorist America ever had: Osama."
"A black man is running for president?" shouted Abe. Around them people stopped and stared at him.
"I should have known you were rascist," sneered the girl. "Get away from me before I use my karate to break your legs!"
"NO!" shouted Abe, before looking around and reducing his voice. "It is just a pleasant surprise to me. I am not rascist. If anything I support the blacks more than anyone where I come from."
"And I am supposed to believe that?" she asked him, looking at him up and down in a contemptuous way.
"Its the truth young lady," he replied.
After a few seconds she seemed to relax.
"So we have come a long way in America," she continued. "From the abolition of slavery in 1865 by Abraham Lincoln, before he was assassinated."
Abe gasped at her statement, then quickly averted his eyes.
"Where did you go to that you don't know that Abraham Lincoln was assasinated?" asked the young lady. "That one was from history, more than 100 years ago."
"Please can you direct me to the local library?" Abraham asked instead, ignoring her question. How could he tell her that he travelled to that year from the past? As James had said, they would put him in a straitjacket instead of accept and marvel at the scientific breakthrough.
She gave him directions, and he thanked her for her time, before heading off in the opposite direction. Two hours later he came out of the enormous building with a tired smile on his face. He had read up all he could on Obama and McCain. He had read up all he could about his tenure as a president, He had read up all he could about slavery abolition and the acceptance of the blacks as people. He had read up all he could about James Borgadus's future. He had learnt all he needed to know. He was ready to go back home. Or so he thought.
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