Mystery man / Grouse

He's started carrying an old beat up duffel bag with him wherever he goes. Always clutching it tight to his chest, never letting anyone see inside.

People stare and wonder.

“What’s he got in the bag?"

"I bet it’s awesome.”

One day he'll hop on a bus and head out west. When he finds a town to his liking, he’ll grab his duffel bag and just walk the streets.
It'll be a dark and stormy night and he'll make his way to the nearest dark and stormy bar. And just as he opens the door lightening will strike and the whole bar will fill with a brilliant light for a split second as he lights a cigarette and says something to the effect of:

“Judging by the weather outside, this town’s got a date with the devil tonight.”

An old man sitting in the back of the bar will swallow hard.

Then the leggy broad standing near the jukebox will approach him and say, “What’s in the bag stranger?” and he’ll reply.

“Whooa, slow down there blue eyes. . . One thing at a time. I hope you French kiss slower than you ramble.”

Then he will take her to some seedy motel and share a night of unbridled passion.

The next morning she’ll wake up and reach over to his side of the bed but it will be cold and empty. She’ll lift her head to scan the room and she will see him huddled in the corner, naked, asleep, clutching his duffel bag. She’ll then get out of bed, naked as well, and slowly approach him, ever so gently reaching. . . reaching. . . reaching to try and see inside his bag. At the last moment he’ll grab her wrist and yell, “Who sent you? Who fucking sent you? Was it Sullivan? Was it Hawkins? Was it the Blue Eagle? Tell me bitch!” and then he’ll either smash a bottle of liquor on the night stand or throw the television set out the window.

He will then sit back down, open his bag of mystery, and eat the crackers inside.

zeroth life lesson: nothing beats a good drifter