And then, everything went very fast. We were ushered into a room just as green as the corridor. Mother still carried Tim who buried his head against her shoulder. Another woman in gray sat at a wooden desk. She didn’t look up from the papers in front of her and didn’t greet us either. Pen poised, she asked, “You arrived today?”
“Yes,” Father said and laid the passports, a letter, and the receipt of the money exchange onto the table. “We’ll be staying with my best friend and his family.” He gave her the address, and she nodded.
“How long are you going to stay?” Finally, she looked up. I wasn’t surprised to see that her eyes were gray too. Maybe everyone in this country turned gray eventually.
“Second of January.” Mother’s voice sounded firm and warm as she set Tim down. My brother clung
