My head jumped from the pillow. I got up quickly.
− Hey, dear − I caressed her hand.
− To Sarajevo, Kitty.
She recognized me! Her blue eyes told me: We don’t have much time. We really don’t have time now, and not like before, when we wanted to hide from each other all the disappointments and the fact that we ourselves failed, persistently postponing meeting each other. My heart pounded. I took a deep breath and ordered myself, now and here – hurry up and invent a city. I gathered all of the beauty in my mouth and the words took us into a pleasant day. Not cold, not too hot, just as it should be. We found ourselves on a street full of people who showed with their gestures that they were having a good time and that they were not in a hurry. No one was alone. Some were talking while walking, others were holding hands, and others were accompanied by smiling children who were dragging balloons behind them. But I wanted even more. I took her by the hand and led her. Where are we going?, she asked me. I said I was taking her to a party. That all our friends had come, I listed one name after another, and that they all wanted to see her. Tanja suddenly stopped and looked at me inquisitively. Kitty, why are they all coming? As soon as she spoke, a child’s balloon escaped. It soared skyward and then exploded. And everything changed in an instant. People bowed their heads and quickened their steps. Somewhere at the bottom of the street impatient car horns honked. Hunger tricked me, I overdid it. I tried to save at least something, I told her we must continue. We barely made it to the first park and sat down. Fatigue overwhelmed us. I didn’t know what to do next. And then I happened to look across the street. At the intersection of two streets, a girl, a little younger than Anica, was selling chestnuts. She had long and curly hair. She held a tong in her hand and danced behind a drum from which sparks flew. Look, I told Tanya and pointed in the girl’s direction. In a sea of scowling faces, hers shone like the sun. When she saw us, she started waving and laughing. Tanja waved at her too. Should I go buy us some?, I suggested. The wind carried the smell of roasted chestnuts. She took a deep breath.
− No, it was enough for us – she said and closed her eyes.
− Enough for us – I repeated and hugged her.