“Every night the bolster lay between us in the bed. And every night I’d say good night and blow out the candle. Then we’d lie in the dark, and soon I’d hear her breathing and know she was asleep. I longed to hold her of course but I decided to be patient. I simply believed she had some feelings for me.”
“One day I saw her returning from the river with some other women from the village. They were carrying bundles of washed clothing and I watched from a distance as they joked and talked. Then she saw me watching and that was the first time she smiled at me. The other women saw it too and started to tease her.”
“Not long after that Suriani was making the bed in the morning and I couldn’t stop myself. I walked up behind her and touched her arms and she stood very still, then she turned aroun
