I enter the village hall where the theatre class takes place. I haven’t been here for ages. And yet, there still reigns the same musty smell. The mustard-coloured wall hasn’t been repainted; in a corner are piled up brown chairs, a few screens, tables that have seen better days.
“Leona!”
“Hello, Mrs Giallo.”
“Oh, please call me Loraine.”
I answer her with a smile. She’s huge. Loraine Giallo is one of the figures of the village. I never really knew what she does for a living, where exactly she lived or even if she has a family. She’s just one of those people you run into over and over again, whose name you know without knowing how you learned it. If she disappeared tomorrow, I might not realize it right away, but without her, the village wouldn’t be the same.
“The students will soon ar
