Gerald left the post office and went to sit in his railroad car. Junk mail, a dry cleaning bill, and a letter from Mr. Quincy Bandana. He opened the letter:



Dear Mr. Geraldo,

Thank you for your letter. I am very much interested in pursuing a partnership with you. With your expert knowledge of hobo culture and my fifty plus years of bandana related experience, we should be able to corner the hobo-style luggage market. Your patent for a telescoping hobo stick with built-in bandana attachment device is groundbreaking, as is my new multi-compartment, prefolded bandana.

I will be sending you twenty bandanas for you to use in constructing a prototype. Remember, we want our product to have the desired hobo look, but still be appealing and functional for the fashionable, upper class lady on the go. I will continue testing new colors, fabrics and designs, as well. If I come across something special, I will notify you ASAP. Also, if you have the time, please consider constructing some hobo sticks from gem encrusted precious metals. I can see these being a big high-end seller.

As you know, marketing will be the key to our success. I have recently become aware of a televsion series in development at Bravo in which celebrities ride the rails for a week and a half and have their experiences documented. It is critical that that our product be prominently invloved in this series.

I am very excited about this project. Please keep me abreast of any developments as they arise, I will do the same. As this endeavor escalates, we will most probably need to begin corresponding by means other than postal mail.

Sincerely Yours,
Mr. Quincy Bandana



Gerald wiped the tears of joy from his eyes. His dream was coming true. He began to envision a day when he would no longer be ashamed to be a fifth generation hobo. Sure, he had a post office box, but outside of the hobo circuit that was not much of a status symbol. Gerald wanted more. He wanted to shower indoors and eat hot food. He wanted a permanent place to keep his harmonica, can opener, and panhandling cup, so he wouldn't have to carry them around anymore unless he wanted to play the blues, open baked beans, or beg for money. Things were definitely looking up for Gerald G. Geraldo.

Back at his workshop, Quicy Bandana was feverishly sewing a new bandana from ostrich leather, sea shells, and organic silk. Although he was a little leary of joining forces with a real life hobo, he saw potential in Gerald Geraldo. He knew tha man probably hadn't showered in months and had teeth black as the dark side of the moon, but his hobo stick design was second to none.