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enjoyed returning to the major cultural centers… Athens… Rome… Paris… London… New York. In between, he would find a charming hamlet to live in just to round out his worldly experience. After a number of years in the rural Midwest, it was time to recapture the essence of the big city once again.
    Ah, New York! How this old station has changed since I’ve last set foot in it . He saw a man, possibly in his mid-to-late thirties, passing by. “Excuse me, sir. Could you direct me to the theater district?”
    The man turned toward Edward. “Sir? Wow, people your agestill use the term „sir"?”
Edward was taken aback. He had hoped that the gray he applied to his temples would help him look somewhat older. “Well, I was always taught to be polite. It"s better than „hey you", right?”
“Quite. It"s just refreshing to hear someone in New York call me „sir". The name is Bryan… BryanMoore.”
Edward hesitated, deciding to offer his hand while withholding his name. “Nice to meet you, Bryan.”
Bryanshook Edward"s hand. “And you asked about the theater district. As a matter of fact, I"m living over that way at the moment. Are you looking to head anyplace in particular?”
“Well, no, I just got into town and I have fond memories of the theater district. I used to live there and worked in one of the theaters.”
“Really? I enjoy the theater myself. Which one did you work at?”
Edward paused before answering. I wish I knew if that particular theater still exists . Better to sound unsure about the name. “Uh, what was it? It"s been so long. The… um… Palatial Playhouse?”
“Hmm, I don"t think the name is still in use. It sounds familiar, though, like it existed some years ago. I recall reading up on the history of Manhattan"s repertories.” Bryan laughed. “There"s no way you could have worked there. It simply hasn"t existed for years.”
Edward feigned to search his mind for the correct name. “You know… it may be that I recall the history of the company being publicized to the point where it became known as the Palatial Playhouse in my mind.” Edward paused. “You say that the name is no longer in use. Do you happen to know the current name?”
Bryanthought for a moment. “I want to say „The Regal Repertory". I"m almost certain. After all, the two names virtually mean the same thing.”
“Regal Repertory. You know… I believe that"s it!”
“It can"t be that long since you"ve been away. Pardon me, but you don"t look very old. How long have you been away from the city?”
“Thanks for the compliment, but I"m a bit older than I look. But I have been told that, if it weren"t for the graying temples, I could pass for… twenty-one? I… um… worked at the Regal while in college, but I"ve been away for… oh… ten years or so.”
“Wow, you don"t look thirty, and you have to be at least that.”
“Uh… wow… great guess. I just turned thirty. I guess a full head of mostlydark brown hair can fool anyone.”
“Well, you are welcome to hop on the subway with me. I get off at the stop right in the middle of the theater district. I can point you in the right direction from there… that is… if the Regal is your destination.”
“I guess my first destination should be a newsstand where I can pick up a paper and look for an apartment to rent.”
“It just so happens that I"m looking for someone to help share the cost of my apartment. My previous roommate moved out last month and paying a New York rent is not easy for one person.”
“That may work out… that is… depending on the nature of your roommate arrangement.”
“No worries. I have a few girl friends that stop by from time to time. No serious relationship though. I"ve been married once and that was a disaster. I"m in no hurry to commit, if you know what I mean.”
“Sounds like it could work. I"ll let you know after seeing the place and, of course, the amount of rent I would need to contribute.”
“It"s best to show you the