Chapter 49
Hana clumped over the soft soil of the playing fields, her boot heels sticking in the mud. Boys milled around and she listened to their entertaining conversations. Their height and bulk sheltered her, offering a false sense of safety and Hana forgot everything apart from the excitement of seeing Anka. Some boys walked alone, heads down as they ran through their own thoughts in glorious oblivion. Others jostled and chatted in tight, insular groups. At the end of the field, Hana hesitated, following the flood of boys into a narrow lane. It terminated on a wide street and they turned left and right, dispersing to nearby streets with cheerful waves and cocky retorts to each other. Unsure, Hana halted and the throng carried her forwards, trapping her amidst a group which turned righ
