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Online, there are all these bus departures to Skopje, including one at 11:20AM, but at the station, the lady told me there's only one bus a day, at 8:30PM, so I had nine extra hours to kill. Sitting on a bench at Republic Square, I read another excellent Ivo Andric story, then I had some pretty good yet cheap pasta with crema di funghi, served in a Chinese takeout box. Now, I'm at Caffe Okno, drinking a Staropramen.

Fifteen minutes ago, guess who walked by but Savka, the homeless DJ I wrote about! She has only been asked to DJ at Cafe Kandinsky one more time, she told me.

Talking, Savka never stepped inside Okno, so I said to her, "Hey, would you like a beer? Come in and join me!"

"No, no, I don't drink."

"How about a cup of coffee?"

"Not now."

Then I noticed the waiter was discreetly trying to chase her away. He left only after Savka had said something in Serbian.

Still smiling as usual, Savka explained to me, "I must go. The owner doesn't like to see, ah, beggars... Have a nice trip!"



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