THELONESANEGI
RLOFTHEMADHOUSE
Igl
ancedoutt
hewi
ndowandt
r
i
edt
omar
v
el
t
hesunset
,
t
hesandsandt
he
endl
essspar
kl
i
ngwat
er
.Thebeachwasal
mostdeser
t
edandt
hesoundof
t
hecr
ashi
ngwav
esechoedi
nmycubi
cl
e.It
r
i
edt
oadmi
r
ei
tal
l
,
t
r
i
edt
of
i
nd
somepeace,
butf
ai
l
ed,
f
ort
heumpt
eent
ht
i
me.
Ear
l
i
eri
nt
heday
,
Ihadmadear
equestf
oraSy
dneyShel
donnov
el
f
r
om t
he
wi
ngwar
den,
andshehaddi
smi
ssedmypl
eawi
t
ht
hemosthat
ef
ul
expr
essi
ononherf
ace-ascowl
,
t
owhi
chIhadbecomeaccust
omedt
o
ov
ert
he2y
ear
sofmyst
ayher
e.
Suddenl
y
,
t
hedoorofmyr
oom openedsl
i
ght
l
y
,
andami
ddl
e-
agedwoman
wi
t
hdi
shev
el
l
edhai
rpoppedherheadi
nsi
de.Shecaughtmysi
ghtand
gr
i
nned,
di
spl
ay
i
ngal
l
hery
el
l
ows.Ir
ecoi
l
edi
nt
hecor
nerofmybedbutshe
di
dn’
tseem t
onot
i
cet
hef
earet
chedonmyf
aceandent
er
edt
her
oom.
Shecr
awl
edt
owar
dsmeaf
t
ercl
i
mbi
ngmybedandsatbesi
deme,
sur
pr
i
si
ngl
ycal
m wi
t
hherr
ubber
-
dol
l
pr
essedt
i
ght
l
yt
oherchest
.Imether
ey
esandsaw…….not
hi
ng.Justdar
knesswi
t
hchi
l
d-
l
i
kei
nnocencecl
oudi
ng
t
hem l
i
kewi
nt
erf
og.
“
Kumud!
”Idar
edt
ospeakaf
t
eral
ongsi
l
encehadst
r
et
chedbet
weenus
l
i
ket
heoceanout
si
demywi
ndow.
“
Hmmm….
”Shemut
t
er
ed,
nott
aki
ngherey
esof
fherr
ubber
-
dol
l
.
“
Whyar
en’
ty
oui
ny
ourr
oom?
”Iaskedcaut
i
ousl
y
.Thewomanwas
i
nf
amousf
orscr
at
chi
nganot
herper
son’
sf
acei
nangerwhenpr
obed.But
now,
shesi
mpl
yl
ookedatmeandr
epl
i
edi
nachi
l
d-
l
i
kemanner
,
“
BecauseI
di
dn’
twantt
ost
ayt
her
e,
”andshr
ugged,
l
i
keshewasst
at
i
ngt
hemost
obv
i
oust
hi
ngi
nt
hewor
l
d,
andwentbackt
oherdol
l
.
Ikeptsi
t
t
i
ngt
her
ewi
t
hmymout
hshutandwat
chedherpl
aysi
l
ent
l
yunt
i
l
t
hewar
dencamesear
chi
ngf
orKumudandt
ookawayt
hepr
ot
est
i
ng
9