Chapter 15There came a bright day in late September and the wind stirred. I sat under an oak tree eating lunch and flipping through the Mathematics text.
“May I join you?” Maria.
“Sure. Why not?”
The girl sat down, tucking her legs underneath her but making certain her skirt was spread around, covering her knees like a blanket. “You always sit here by yourself,” she said.
“Uh-huh.” I looked at her. I thought her very pretty; shining blonde hair, a splash of freckles across her nose and liquid blue eyes, as blue as the sea. “It doesn't bother me.”
“People are friendly if you give them a chance.”
“I'm giving you a chance.”
She blushed. “Do you remember my name?”
“Maria.”
She nodded. “That's right. Maria Slobodan. I live in town. My father is a baker.”
“Ah,” I said. “And he buys flo
