f-preservationandmaintehefaeriesindustryaiontothetaskborderedonthefanatic.

    Iwasassigowatatthelibrary,butIrarelybotheredtolookforhimthere,anditisbycethatheappearedatall.Hismotherhaddraggedthepoorchildalongahimalohesmallplaygroundoutfront.Frommyhidingplace,directobservationossible,soIwatchedhisrefleie-glasswindowsacrossthestreet,whichdistortedhisappearance,makinghimsmallerandsomehoarent.

    Thedark-haired,beetle-browedboysangquietlytohimselfasheclimbedupandswooshedofftheslideoverandain.Hisnoseran,aimehemouhestairshedwipethesnotwiththebackofhishand,thenwipehishandonhisgreasycorduroys.Wheiredoftheslidingboard,hesaunteredovertotheswingstopumpandpullhimselfintotheclearbluesky.Hisblankexpressionneverged,andthesongunderhisbreathneverfaltered.Iwatchedhimfornearlyanhour,andinthatwholetime,heexpressedabsolutelyion,tenttoplayaloilhismothercame.Athinsmilecreasedhisfacewhenshearrived,andwithoutawordhejumpeddownfromtheswing,grabbedherhand,andofftheywent.Theirbehaviorandiionbaffledme.Parentsandchildrentakesucheverydaymomentsfranted,asifthereisanendlesssupply.

    Hadmyparentsfottenmepletely?Themanwhocriedaftermethatlong-agsurelyhadbeenmyfather,andIresolvedtogoseehim,mymother,andmybabysistersonedaysoon.Perhapsafterwehadabductedthepoormisfortuardfromtheplayground.Theswingstopped,andtheearlyJunedayfaded.Aswalloeared,chasingisintheairabovetheironbars,andallofmydesiresweretippedbythewingsasthebirdscissoredawayintothemilkydusk.Ifeltsorryfortheboy,althoughIkhatgingplaceswasthenaturalo