I stood frozen in my tracks, my jaw hanging open as I stared at the man behind the counter. *How on earth does a random street vendor know intimate details about my mother?*
My mind spun into a total blur of confusion, my pulse quickening as I searched his face for answers. He didn't look particularly dangerous or sinister, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his sharp eyes. Glancing down at his soapy, calloused hands, he gestured toward a simple wooden bench positioned against the outer wall of his stall.
"Sit yourself down, girl," he grunted, his raspy voice like gravel grinding together. "No need to look at an old man as if he's about to strike you. Let me dish out some hot food for you first."
The two nurses leaned in, carefully guiding my trembling frame across the cobblest
