Around California

As I suspected, Sal's ventures in the cotton fields didn't last long; it seems he was done with it in less than a week, although he never specifies exactly how long he was there. Sal decides his best option is to go back to New York, which was where he lived before he started his life on the road. Terry says a few sentences that sound distraught, but overall Sal's departure and Terry's response to it is rather emotionless. Sal mentions love a few times, and Terry even says straight out that she loves Sal. Yet when they see each other for the last time, even knowing it is the last time, they kiss automatically and say goodbye and look back at each other once, comparing love to a duel. Sal never really mentions Terry after she is gone, which makes me think it wasn't real love, since it seems he rarely even thinks about her. Or maybe he just doesn't want to think about her. The way I see it, though, there wouldn't be much of a choice but to think about her if they really were in love.