retion．Theworldmaysidermeasuperfluousperson，adredgeofsociety,butInevercaredfortheopinionofothers．IknowIamalive，Ibreathe．That’sthesimplestrudimentofjoy.Ienjoydreaming.Thosethousandsuponthousandsofdreamsmayfadeawaywithtime,buttherearealwaysmoretoe．Tome，theyarethepuresthappiness．IfIamonlyamaecreatingexcrement，Iamthehappiestoheworld.”

    Thegrowlingofhisstomachtohisreverieandremindedhimitwasfeedingtime．Fromforceofhabit，hewalkedtowardsthebackdooroftherestaurantwhereMarianowork．Shehadlefttherelongagofordestinationsunknown,butDimitristillfaithfullypatrohegarbagesthere，forhecouldalwaysfiscrapsoffoodtofillhisstomach．Henevereventhoughtofthesmallfortuneinsidehispocket．Monothingtohimandhelivedhislifeashealwaysdid，seeminglynottoknowhowtospendmoney．Havingsatisfiedhishunger，hewalkedovertohisfavoritebenchbythesquarenearhisdwellingandsatdow．Hehadthesatisfaofamissionaplished，apromisefulfilledacarefreeandunhampered．HehadonlytowaitforRichardtoebyahemonightfall．Asnguorovercamehim，heydownandcoveredhisfacewithhishat．Thewarmthofthesun，theessofthebreezesoothedhisrexedbody．Graduallyhisfleshbodyseemedtobeetransparentandinvisible，cealedandbleomixturesofsunshineandbreeze．Heembracedtheunperceivablebuthelessexistingtimeaalongwithiteternally，asifitwasasoft，warmandnakedbeautyinhisdream,andhislifespan,liketime,extendedeverstingly．

    Wheopenedhiseyes,itwasalreadydusk．Thecloudswereextravagantlyspreadoutovertheheavens,illumihesettingsunincolorshtred,goldandpurple．Thespectacursplendorwasstunning．Aflockofbirdsflewontothismagnifitasky．Theirgraceful，rhythematicflyingmotionsaddedyoungaiclifeforcetothequiet,naturalbeauty．Stillgroggywithsleep,Dimitrisatupandsawtwofiguressmilingathimacrossthesquare,withthebackdropofthefmingtwilightse．Dimitriwavedaworantohimhandinhand,thegirl’swhitepleatedskirtandyellowblouseflowinginthewind．

    "HiDimitri!Didyouhaveagoodnap?We’vebeenwaitinghereforquitealongtime．Lookatthebeautifulsu!Wewereafraidyou’dsleepawaysuchgeoussery．Itwouldhavebeenapitytomissit.”YokostoodsilentlybyandsmiledatDimitri，whotookastackofcashfromhisinsidepocketandhaoRichardsaying，

    "Here’sthemoneyforyourfriend.Takeitandpayhishospitalbills.”RichardandYokostaredatthemoney，hardlyabletobelievetheireyesthatahomelesspersoncouldhavesomueyonhim．

    "Stayhere，Yoko．I’llbebaaminute．Ihavetogetsomethingfrommycar.”Sayingso,Richardrushedtohiscarwhicharkedashortdistanceaway．YokoandDimitrismiledateachother．

    "DoRichardknowaboutourmeetingstnight.”

    "Ofcoursenot．It’sourlittlesecret.”

    "Wouldyouetoourweddingtonight"?

    "I’dloveto．YoudecidedtomarryRichard?"

    10

    "Yes,wewillhaveauniquewedding.”

    "That’sgreat．ButwhatIgiveyouforaweddi?Ihavenothi．Ah，Ihaveanidea!"saidDimitriwhimsically．Hepoiheskyfullofbzing，colorfulcloudsandsaid，"I’llgiveyouthismagnifitsery!"Yokocppedherhaedly，herexpressionnaiveandartlessasalittlegirl．

    "Whatawift!Iwilltreasureitainmymemoryforever.”Justthen，Richardcamerunningwithacameraslungoverhisleftshoulderandapairofbinocursininhisrighthand．

    "Lo

retion．Theworldmaysidermeasuperfluousperson，adredgeofsociety,butInevercaredfortheopinionofothers．IknowIamalive，Ibreathe．That’sthesimplestrudimentofjoy.Ienjoydreaming.Thosethousandsuponthousandsofdreamsmayfadeawaywithtime,buttherearealwaysmoretoe．Tome，theyarethepuresthappiness．IfIamonlyamaecreatingexcrement，Iamthehappiestoheworld.”

    Thegrowlingofhisstomachtohisreverieandremindedhimitwasfeedingtime．Fromforceofhabit，hewalkedtowardsthebackdooroftherestaurantwhereMarianowork．Shehadlefttherelongagofordestinationsunknown,butDimitristillfaithfullypatrohegarbagesthere，forhecouldalwaysfiscrapsoffoodtofillhisstomach．Henevereventhoughtofthesmallfortuneinsidehispocket．Monothingtohimandhelivedhislifeashealwaysdid，seeminglynottoknowhowtospendmoney．Havingsatisfiedhishunger，hewalkedovertohisfavoritebenchbythesquarenearhisdwellingandsatdow．Hehadthesatisfaofamissionaplished，apromisefulfilledacarefreeandunhampered．HehadonlytowaitforRichardtoebyahemonightfall．Asnguorovercamehim，heydownandcoveredhisfacewithhishat．Thewarmthofthesun，theessofthebreezesoothedhisrexedbody．Graduallyhisfleshbodyseemedtobeetransparentandinvisible，cealedandbleomixturesofsunshineandbreeze．Heembracedtheunperceivablebuthelessexistingtimeaalongwithiteternally，asifitwasasoft，warmandnakedbeautyinhisdream,andhislifespan,liketime,extendedeverstingly．

    Wheopenedhiseyes,itwasalreadydusk．Thecloudswereextravagantlyspreadoutovertheheavens,illumihesettingsunincolorshtred,goldandpurple．Thespectacursplendorwasstunning．Aflockofbirdsflewontothismagnifitasky．Theirgraceful，rhythematicflyingmotionsaddedyoungaiclifeforcetothequiet,naturalbeauty．Stillgroggywithsleep,Dimitrisatupandsawtwofiguressmilingathimacrossthesquare,withthebackdropofthefmingtwilightse．Dimitriwavedaworantohimhandinhand,thegirl’swhitepleatedskirtandyellowblouseflowinginthewind．

    "HiDimitri!Didyouhaveagoodnap?We’vebeenwaitinghereforquitealongtime．Lookatthebeautifulsu!Wewereafraidyou’dsleepawaysuchgeoussery．Itwouldhavebeenapitytomissit.”YokostoodsilentlybyandsmiledatDimitri，whotookastackofcashfromhisinsidepocketandhaoRichardsaying，

    "Here’sthemoneyforyourfriend.Takeitandpayhishospitalbills.”RichardandYokostaredatthemoney，hardlyabletobelievetheireyesthatahomelesspersoncouldhavesomueyonhim．

    "Stayhere，Yoko．I’llbebaaminute．Ihavetogetsomethingfrommycar.”Sayingso,Richardrushedtohiscarwhicharkedashortdistanceaway．YokoandDimitrismiledateachother．

    "DoRichardknowaboutourmeetingstnight.”

    "Ofcoursenot．It’sourlittlesecret.”

    "Wouldyouetoourweddingtonight"?

    "I’dloveto．YoudecidedtomarryRichard?"

    10

    "Yes,wewillhaveauniquewedding.”

    "That’sgreat．ButwhatIgiveyouforaweddi?Ihavenothi．Ah，Ihaveanidea!"saidDimitriwhimsically．Hepoiheskyfullofbzing，colorfulcloudsandsaid，"I’llgiveyouthismagnifitsery!"Yokocppedherhaedly，herexpressionnaiveandartlessasalittlegirl．

    "Whatawift!Iwilltreasureitainmymemoryforever.”Justthen，Richardcamerunningwithacameraslungoverhisleftshoulderandapairofbinocursininhisrighthand．

    "Lo