Chapter III
The EscapeAbove all else, Gelu needed to escape. He needed the freedom of the streets, of carefree walks, the space and light of the outdoors. Cooped up inside, he became slow and placid. But in the streets he found his energy, his exuberance, his voice. In the street he would find his friends, argue with them, tell them his stories and discover their news. This was where he once found Buţă between two hustlers, losing the last of his money at dice, and where he had dragged him round the town for a couple of hours, trying to extract a few words from the feckless loafer. This was where the half-hearted flirtation of a working girl snared him one evening, and where he was released from her embrace a quarter of an hour later, sullied and confused (was that it?). It was on the str
