tofthefinancialindustrywithaservativeandrocksolidreputationhadsuffered.Thisfidencecrisisoberepaired,soMegginndecidedtocalgeneralstockholdermeetingagainassoonasthenewmace,toshowcaseabrandnewleadership,fullofvigorandvitality,owerfulnewresolution.Samantha,thevice-presidentofWorldBankwasabsentfromthisimportantpreparatorymeeting.Shewasbusywithanotherimportanttaskthatobetakencareof.Shekhatwhegeneralmeetingwascalled,therewouldfivesixhundredpartitsandsuffitamountofrefreshmentsmustbeprepared.Thiswasaformidableassignotonlybecauseofthequantityneeded,butalsothequality,whichmustbesuchastosatisfythepamperedtastesofthestockholders.Atfirstshewasjustgoingtohireacatererwhospecializedindesserts,butthehoughtsheshouldtalktoDimitri.Perhapshemightbeiedintakingonthisbigjob.WhenSamanthatalkedtoDimitriaboutit,hewasquiteenthusiastic.

    “It’sforoneofmyownbusinesses.Whynottakeonthechallenge?”Hewentaboutbusilymakingupthemenu,writingdownalistofmaterialstobuyandarrangeforenoughstafftogetthejobdone.Everythinghadtobepiculouslyinadvance.

    Alltoosoon,thebigdaywasnear.Everyonewasdashingaboutfranticallytryingtogetthingsdoneacctoschedule,butofprimarytoDimitriwastheoldproblemofckofhands.LuckilyRichardandJamazbroughtfreshhelptotheshop,Mara,thegypsygirl.Asithappened,RichardandJamazwerelonthebusycitystreetsasweretheirwont,whetentionwascaughtbythequick,melodiousbeatofaseriesofnotesingfromsomeonepyingaguitaratanearbystreeter.Thentheyheardafamiliarvoigingagypsysong,romantidsad,tihtheSpanishFmingostyle.Theyquicklyturnedaerandwalkedtowardsthemusic.Theysawaslender,gracefulyounggirlleaningagainstthewall,singingandpyiar,withatinatherfeet,intowhichpeoplehadthrownsomeloosege,sanddolrbills.Thegirlwasfocusedonhermusidtooknonoteofhersurroundingsuntiltheend.Sheheardhandsgandsawtwomenwalkedtowardsher.OnfurtherobservationshesawitwasheroldfriendsRichardandJamaz.Thethreeofthemweresohappytomeetagainonthebusystreeterthattheyhuggedeachotherwarmly.

    “DoyouknopeoYoko?”sheasked.“IinquiredeverywhereIgobutnoooknow.Doyouknowwheresheisnow?”

    “Doyouwanttoseeher?”askedRichardsmiling.“FollowmeandIwillbringyoutoseenotonlyYoko,butalsosomeotheroldfriends.”

    “Really!”excimedMara.“That’swonderful.”Sheshoulderedherguitar,pickedupherbelongingsontheground,stuffedthemoneyfromthetintoherpocketsahreeofthemhurriedaway.

    9

    Thatday,itwasbusinessasusuatDream-maker’sBakery.Buttheyweresoshort-haheywereonlywhatwasontheshelvesandwouldnotreplenishthestock.TheonlyoneinfronttakingcareofbusinesswasAmalia.Bynoontimeeverythinghadbeensold.ThedoorwasclosedandAmaliasatbythetertingthecash.Shediditoverandain,butthesumtotalnevercameoutthesame.Thatistosay,hertingwasnevercorrect.ButAmaliadidomindandyjustsittingtheretingmoherestofthestaffwerebusyattheback,wtoexhaustionwithperspiratioingtheirclothesbecausetheWorldBankferencewasscheduledforthedayandallproductsforthemeetingmustbefiheendoftheday.DimitrihadbeentrainingRichardandJamazallweekonhowtoworktheovewomayseemiandckadaisicalmostofthetime,theystepuptothepteandreallyde

tofthefinancialindustrywithaservativeandrocksolidreputationhadsuffered.Thisfidencecrisisoberepaired,soMegginndecidedtocalgeneralstockholdermeetingagainassoonasthenewmace,toshowcaseabrandnewleadership,fullofvigorandvitality,owerfulnewresolution.Samantha,thevice-presidentofWorldBankwasabsentfromthisimportantpreparatorymeeting.Shewasbusywithanotherimportanttaskthatobetakencareof.Shekhatwhegeneralmeetingwascalled,therewouldfivesixhundredpartitsandsuffitamountofrefreshmentsmustbeprepared.Thiswasaformidableassignotonlybecauseofthequantityneeded,butalsothequality,whichmustbesuchastosatisfythepamperedtastesofthestockholders.Atfirstshewasjustgoingtohireacatererwhospecializedindesserts,butthehoughtsheshouldtalktoDimitri.Perhapshemightbeiedintakingonthisbigjob.WhenSamanthatalkedtoDimitriaboutit,hewasquiteenthusiastic.

    “It’sforoneofmyownbusinesses.Whynottakeonthechallenge?”Hewentaboutbusilymakingupthemenu,writingdownalistofmaterialstobuyandarrangeforenoughstafftogetthejobdone.Everythinghadtobepiculouslyinadvance.

    Alltoosoon,thebigdaywasnear.Everyonewasdashingaboutfranticallytryingtogetthingsdoneacctoschedule,butofprimarytoDimitriwastheoldproblemofckofhands.LuckilyRichardandJamazbroughtfreshhelptotheshop,Mara,thegypsygirl.Asithappened,RichardandJamazwerelonthebusycitystreetsasweretheirwont,whetentionwascaughtbythequick,melodiousbeatofaseriesofnotesingfromsomeonepyingaguitaratanearbystreeter.Thentheyheardafamiliarvoigingagypsysong,romantidsad,tihtheSpanishFmingostyle.Theyquicklyturnedaerandwalkedtowardsthemusic.Theysawaslender,gracefulyounggirlleaningagainstthewall,singingandpyiar,withatinatherfeet,intowhichpeoplehadthrownsomeloosege,sanddolrbills.Thegirlwasfocusedonhermusidtooknonoteofhersurroundingsuntiltheend.Sheheardhandsgandsawtwomenwalkedtowardsher.OnfurtherobservationshesawitwasheroldfriendsRichardandJamaz.Thethreeofthemweresohappytomeetagainonthebusystreeterthattheyhuggedeachotherwarmly.

    “DoyouknopeoYoko?”sheasked.“IinquiredeverywhereIgobutnoooknow.Doyouknowwheresheisnow?”

    “Doyouwanttoseeher?”askedRichardsmiling.“FollowmeandIwillbringyoutoseenotonlyYoko,butalsosomeotheroldfriends.”

    “Really!”excimedMara.“That’swonderful.”Sheshoulderedherguitar,pickedupherbelongingsontheground,stuffedthemoneyfromthetintoherpocketsahreeofthemhurriedaway.

    9

    Thatday,itwasbusinessasusuatDream-maker’sBakery.Buttheyweresoshort-haheywereonlywhatwasontheshelvesandwouldnotreplenishthestock.TheonlyoneinfronttakingcareofbusinesswasAmalia.Bynoontimeeverythinghadbeensold.ThedoorwasclosedandAmaliasatbythetertingthecash.Shediditoverandain,butthesumtotalnevercameoutthesame.Thatistosay,hertingwasnevercorrect.ButAmaliadidomindandyjustsittingtheretingmoherestofthestaffwerebusyattheback,wtoexhaustionwithperspiratioingtheirclothesbecausetheWorldBankferencewasscheduledforthedayandallproductsforthemeetingmustbefiheendoftheday.DimitrihadbeentrainingRichardandJamazallweekonhowtoworktheovewomayseemiandckadaisicalmostofthetime,theystepuptothepteandreallyde