illlookforhimsomewhereelse.”DimitriwasgreatlyrelievedwhenherealizedthatitwasCharinaahatnothinghadhappeoher.Hequicklystoodup,tookuphiswhiteeandtotteredoutofthedesertedgardenafterMaureen.

    WhenCharinasawDimitriappearattheentrahegardentappinghiswhitee,shegotholdofhiselbowandsaidinatremblingvoice,

    “Getintothecar.It’snotsafehere.Somehooligansarerunningtowardsus.Hurry!eoothecar.”Fromthetremblingofhervoice,Dimitrikhesituationmustbegettingtense.Hecouldnotsee,buthismovemeillquidnimble.Whenhisfiouchedthecardoorthathadalreadybeenopenedforhim,hequicklygotinandMaureenjumpedafterhimaledonhisp.Charinaclosedtheircardoorandquicklywehedriver’ssideandgotin.Nosoonerhadhersideofthecardoorclosedwhensheheardfistspoundingosideofherdaroughvoicesaying,

    “yprettylittlefilly!eout.Don’tleavesofast.Stay.Let’spyawhile.Itwillbefun.”Luckily,shehadlefttheenginerunning,sosteppingohecarstreakedaway,itswheelssquealinginprotestwhenthecarmadeaquickturn.Aftertheyhadfinallylefttherosegardenbehindandthecoastseemedclear,Chariocalmdown.Dimitriwaitedtillhercheststoppedheavinginagitationtoask,

    “pened,Charina?”

    “Whydidn’tyougetintouchthesestfewdays?”shesighed,givinghimawhiteeye.“Ihavebeenlookingforyouaroundthekemanytimesbutsawnosignofyou.ItookMaureenandvisitedallyouroldhaunts,alwayssettinghimfreetolookforyou,hopinghissensitivenosewouldfindyou.Whearden,theweedsweresrownandthepceseemedtobesodesertedthatIdidnoin,afraidtheremightbeunscrupulouspeoplehidingthere.IsentMaureenintochedyouwerereallythere!Luckilywegotoutinanie,otherouldbeirouble!.AfterIsentMaureenintothedesertedgarden,Isawsomehomelesspersonsdressedindirty,dipidatedclothes,sittingaroundwithwoodenexpressions,doingnothing.Whentheysawmetheyughedmaliciouslyutteringobsities,withsalivarunningdowntheeroftheirmouthsandstooduptocloseinslowlyonme.Igotreallynervousandscared,butluckilyyouappearedwithMaureen.SoIopehecardoorforyouahepcequickly.Howcouldyoubestayithatreallyscarypce?Iwasscaredtodeath!”

    “Sorry.Sorry.Thatwasallmyfault.Sorryyouhadsuchascarebutthecauseofitallwasyourbeauty.It’sbeautifulwomenwhoeasilygetintotroubleandndinthesemessysituations,don’tthey?”saidDimitriinanapologizingbutalsoftteringtone.Charinasighed.

    “Inthisrgemetropoliscriminalelementsareineverydarkerandwehearofcrimesbeingitteddayht,dayinanddayout.Whereverpeoplegregate,thereissuretobeallkindsofundesirablepeopledoingallkindsofbadthings,bigandsmall.Whyaretheresomanystraraordinarypeoplethatotlivepeacefullywithothers?Itwouldbereallywonderfulifeveryonecouldjustco-existpeacefully,livealive!”ptedCharinainhersadaoneofvoice.

    6

    “Don’tbesopessimistiddisappointed”saidDimitri.“Thegardeninsomepeople’sheartsaredriedupaed.Butifheavenwillsenddownmueededrainfalndsomeseedsaresown,flowerswillgrowintherichsoil.”

    “Hey,Dimitri”saidCharinawithasmile.“Sincewhenhaveyoubeeapoetandspeakwithrhymesaaphors?Soundsgood!”

    Charina’shandsstayedoeerihecarrolledsmoothlyoreetsbesidetheke.Sheturnedofftheair-ditioningahewindowstoletinfreshair,whichwassoinvigorati

illlookforhimsomewhereelse.”DimitriwasgreatlyrelievedwhenherealizedthatitwasCharinaahatnothinghadhappeoher.Hequicklystoodup,tookuphiswhiteeandtotteredoutofthedesertedgardenafterMaureen.

    WhenCharinasawDimitriappearattheentrahegardentappinghiswhitee,shegotholdofhiselbowandsaidinatremblingvoice,

    “Getintothecar.It’snotsafehere.Somehooligansarerunningtowardsus.Hurry!eoothecar.”Fromthetremblingofhervoice,Dimitrikhesituationmustbegettingtense.Hecouldnotsee,buthismovemeillquidnimble.Whenhisfiouchedthecardoorthathadalreadybeenopenedforhim,hequicklygotinandMaureenjumpedafterhimaledonhisp.Charinaclosedtheircardoorandquicklywehedriver’ssideandgotin.Nosoonerhadhersideofthecardoorclosedwhensheheardfistspoundingosideofherdaroughvoicesaying,

    “yprettylittlefilly!eout.Don’tleavesofast.Stay.Let’spyawhile.Itwillbefun.”Luckily,shehadlefttheenginerunning,sosteppingohecarstreakedaway,itswheelssquealinginprotestwhenthecarmadeaquickturn.Aftertheyhadfinallylefttherosegardenbehindandthecoastseemedclear,Chariocalmdown.Dimitriwaitedtillhercheststoppedheavinginagitationtoask,

    “pened,Charina?”

    “Whydidn’tyougetintouchthesestfewdays?”shesighed,givinghimawhiteeye.“Ihavebeenlookingforyouaroundthekemanytimesbutsawnosignofyou.ItookMaureenandvisitedallyouroldhaunts,alwayssettinghimfreetolookforyou,hopinghissensitivenosewouldfindyou.Whearden,theweedsweresrownandthepceseemedtobesodesertedthatIdidnoin,afraidtheremightbeunscrupulouspeoplehidingthere.IsentMaureenintochedyouwerereallythere!Luckilywegotoutinanie,otherouldbeirouble!.AfterIsentMaureenintothedesertedgarden,Isawsomehomelesspersonsdressedindirty,dipidatedclothes,sittingaroundwithwoodenexpressions,doingnothing.Whentheysawmetheyughedmaliciouslyutteringobsities,withsalivarunningdowntheeroftheirmouthsandstooduptocloseinslowlyonme.Igotreallynervousandscared,butluckilyyouappearedwithMaureen.SoIopehecardoorforyouahepcequickly.Howcouldyoubestayithatreallyscarypce?Iwasscaredtodeath!”

    “Sorry.Sorry.Thatwasallmyfault.Sorryyouhadsuchascarebutthecauseofitallwasyourbeauty.It’sbeautifulwomenwhoeasilygetintotroubleandndinthesemessysituations,don’tthey?”saidDimitriinanapologizingbutalsoftteringtone.Charinasighed.

    “Inthisrgemetropoliscriminalelementsareineverydarkerandwehearofcrimesbeingitteddayht,dayinanddayout.Whereverpeoplegregate,thereissuretobeallkindsofundesirablepeopledoingallkindsofbadthings,bigandsmall.Whyaretheresomanystraraordinarypeoplethatotlivepeacefullywithothers?Itwouldbereallywonderfulifeveryonecouldjustco-existpeacefully,livealive!”ptedCharinainhersadaoneofvoice.

    6

    “Don’tbesopessimistiddisappointed”saidDimitri.“Thegardeninsomepeople’sheartsaredriedupaed.Butifheavenwillsenddownmueededrainfalndsomeseedsaresown,flowerswillgrowintherichsoil.”

    “Hey,Dimitri”saidCharinawithasmile.“Sincewhenhaveyoubeeapoetandspeakwithrhymesaaphors?Soundsgood!”

    Charina’shandsstayedoeerihecarrolledsmoothlyoreetsbesidetheke.Sheturnedofftheair-ditioningahewindowstoletinfreshair,whichwassoinvigorati