HomecomingMina had never seen Andon from the outside before. Though the occasional distant relative had arrived, now and then, for a brief stay, Mina’s family had never returned these visits. There had always been too much work to do, maintaining the orchards. Or so Papa said. Looking back with adult eyes, Mina knew there were fallow seasons when the trees could have been left. She suspected Uncle Tonio’s condition had been the true cause of their restricted life.
Before she joined the players, the borders of Andon had been the farthest edges of Mina’s world. Now, sitting beside Lisette as she drove the wagon down the sloping path toward the coastal town, Mina saw her old home with fresh eyes.
The road followed the curve of the land. To their left the coast sheared away, spires of grey s
