【】l,oogotoapublictelephoheattendanttookdoberoocallandlisteoeveryion.oftehereatall,andthephonekedup.

eatfouroteaandbisihadbeenknotosyathizee,sho,orybejustsayheeetakeotionalstrain,ashisvoicealtogethersteady.

eantteproposalie,hearriageisforyoungpeopleonlyperhapsishockedyouybluntproposal”

“oh,no,notatall.ithinkitperfearry.andiurenyehoughiaratefultoyouandflatteredbyyourproposal,iaoundbyavoadetolatehusbandthatiains.ylife.”

hiskindfayhandinhisandsaidreluustrespeainfaithfultoyourhusband.ihaveal.heyhandaftergivingitagentlesqueeze.

theaontpassed.ihadnotcaused.hutolosefacebyaflatrefusal.thattheeseway.

afterhisproposal,.huntiovisitfroitoti.heedhisoldpraeohathehadbeenrehabilitatedaoredtohisforrpositionasassistantnagerandefullprodu.

“ire.thereissouedsuddenlytohaveshedtenyearsofhisage.

in1980,tosaygoodbye.heeatohoughtallalongthatiyoldageinsnlandratherthalingdoadefalyinnativeuntry.

tohavereaanattheageofsixtyoodinspiteofaoing.

ihadunlockedthefrontdoorandboundingupthestairs.ilookedatthek.dadeinutesearly.

“youareearlytoday,”isaidtohidoor.

“ihavesothiotheroole.“iybegoingtobeijingioodistantfuture.”

“indeed.haveyoubeenofferedajob”iaskedhi

“.butiyhavea.

“eaandapieceoftoast”iasked,asikneayshungry.

“sotoastebackeatall.iherhehadeatenbreakfast,butididnotask.

takingabookfroisbag,dadeasked,“doyouthinkudythistoday”