PreparationsThe next morning, Nizar called Alessandra over to the little bench on the side of the house, a small area surrounded by the hibiscus bushes. She smiled, a bit dazed, when he sat next to her offering a glass of lemonade.
Nizar rested his hands on his knees, stretched his arms and, without looking at her, began in his stilted English: - I spoke to Arthur yesterday afternoon. He can’t send anyone for you, it’s too dangerous and the situation is getting worse by the minute. He said that in the next few days this part of the city is going to be under attack and he urged me to take you away.
He’d spoken without pausing for breath and when he finished he started stroking his gray beard nervously.
- But… where would we go? - asked Alessandra who, despite not being in perfect health,
