Dimitrigotintothecar．Helook🎦📙🛒edatthebarredwindowsusedfordetainingcriminalsorsuspedshrugged．Hesatdoromptlyfelsleeptofollowthetrailofthecarthieveswithh☟isdream．Meanwhile，theofficerswerestilltryingtopcateMrs．KaffeeandwritingtheirreportwhentheyheardDimitriknogatthewindowofthesquadca🐭rdoor．
"What🔆♾isit?"ohemas🁟🕞ked.
"Thecarwasstolenbyawh🐐itemanandtwobcks．ThewhitemanisdrivingandnowtheyarecrossingtheBayBridge．Ifyouputoutabulletin，you🗂catchthemohersideofthebridge.”
"Howdoyouknow?Whydidn🐐’tyousa🐕⛕🚓ysoearlier?"Dimitriwashesitant．Hecouldn’tsayhejustdreamedit;sohesaid，
"Ijustnowrealizedtheyweredriving🂋🍐inthedireofthebridgefreewayentrahecartheftreallyhadnothingtodowithDimitri．When🜨🄩⛷allformalitieshadbeehrough，thepolibacktothegasstationwherehewasfiredthenandthere．
Dimitriapologizedprofuselytotheownerforthetroublehehadcausedahegasstation．Beingfiredonhisfirstdayofworkdepressedhim．"Thissocietyisastrangemorymybesttotoitandjoinitsranks，buthoweverhardItry，Iamalushedout．MaybeI’mjustamisfit.”HemusedthatMrs.Kaffeeseemedvaguelyfamiliarthoughhecouldn’tforthelifeofhimrecallwherehehadseenherbefore．Theremusthavebeensom🆩💌🐙ereasonforhertopilikeshedid．Hewanderedaroundaimlesslylikeheusedto，andhisfootstepstookhiminvoluntarilyonhisusualpathtowardsLakeMerritt．Hesawyoungpeoplesittingonthebenchesenjoyinghamburgersandsoftdrinks，talkingandughinganimatedly．Therewerealsomanyfashionableandwell-dressedpeopleinbusinesssuitsstrollingaround，obviouslyontheirlunchbreak．"Oh，it’salreadynoohoughtDimitri．Whehesepeople，hefeltasenseofinferiorityingoverhim，envyiheirenergyandpurposeithehought，"Why’tIenjoylifethewayIwantto?Whyshouldeveryonebealike?"Heshruggedabetter．
Hegottothepierandsatonhisusualbench，thinkingoftheeventsofthepastfewdays．AftermovinginwithMarianna，shemadehimwash,shave，cuthishairandboughthimnewclothes．Hewasnotatallusedtoallthisfussalikeanewmabedwassuovelexperiehefoundithardtogotosleep．Itwasastormynight.Thewindandrainwereragingoutside，butallwasquietandsereneihebedroom，onlyMarianna’ssurbreathingcouldbeheardinthesweetdarkness．Hefeltthattheroomwasasolitaryboatdriftingonastormyseaandapicturehehadseeninhisyouthcamevividlytomind．Itictureofaofyoungbirds🎵sleepingsoundlyamidwindandrainanditssimiritieswithhispresentstatestruckhim．Hecouldhefactthatifheweren’there，hewouldbeseekinghaveniorm．Thatdriftinglifestylewasbleak，drearyandsometimesfraughtwithdanger，butithadadesotebeautyandasenseofadvebeedtohiscarefreespirit．
Suddenly，Dimitriwasstartledfr♗🈡omhisreveriebytwosofthandschiseyes．Helookedbadfoundthesmilingfaariannalookingdownonhim．🗂
"So📐🚀🐎rryIwasfiredonmy🜟firstda🔢🂑🎂yofwork.”
"Iknow．Iwenttothegasstationtyouyourlunch.Don’🂳tworryaboutit．It’sOK．You’llfi🎜👽🎔🎜👽🎔ndsomethingelse.”
Shesatdownonthebendtheychattedtogether．Therewasaninnateserenityintheirretionshipt😷🆀hatenvelopedthemintheirowworld，obliviousoftheirsurroundings☮．Thebusytraffic，thefroligchildrerollingcrowdjustdidforthem．Theoodup，handedhimhislunch-bagandsaid，
"Gottogonow🝅🈱🂊．Goonhomewhenyouaretiredandtakeares⛠🛴t．You’vebeenthroughalotwiththepolicetoday.”
"Thankyou,Mariann🁟🕞a”Dimitrismiled,tookthepaperbagandwalkedaway．
Mariaslowlytowardsherrestaurant，thinking，"Dimitriisastrangemanwithauniquepersonality．Helivespletelyina⚒fancifulworldofhisown，iasachild．totallyinpatiblewiththerealworld，uosurviveitspetitionsanditswiles．Hisfrank，trustingandnaiveeyesareasharptrasttohisweather-beatehatisso,whyforcehimtoadapttoaworldwhereheistotallyoutofpce?Whyhimgohisoay?Lethimstayatmypdtakecareofthehouseandgarden．Idon’tknowwhatdrawsmetohim，butIlikehim.Icareforhiswelfareandhaveaake．Theremustbesomethingpre-desti🞐📐nedinourretionship．Butsowhat？Whyshouldn’tIlikehimandcareforhim?Whymusttherebeareason?"Butthehoughtsturhelettershereceivedthatm．Itwasfromherhusbandandtheir8-year-oldson，tellihattheyhadfinallygottentheirimmigrationpapersandwouldsoonbejoiningher．Herhusbaheraphotographofhimselfandtheirson，andtheboyproudlywrotetoherinEnglish．Whentheyarrive，shewouldiablyhavetoleaveDimitriandprovideahomeforherhusbandandson．Butthatwouldnotbeforsom⛂🗧🞃etimeyet．"I’llcrossthatbridgewhe,”shedecided．
JustthehoughtswereinterruptedbyawhiteRollsRoycescree♻🍢gtoahaltbesideher．Avoicecameairily，
"Hi，Ma🜊🀛riann🝅🈱🂊🝅🈱🂊a！Doyoustillrememberme?"
"Ohyes,Mrs．Kaffee!Howareyou?"Mariannasaidpolitely．WhenMariannafirstcametoAmerica，shehadbeenars．Kaffee’shousehold，butuandherfussyandp🔞ickyways，shequitaow👙orkattherestaurant．
"Whath🜊🀛aveyoubeendoingallthistime，Marianna?"
"Oh，I’vebeenwasacookatanItal🐕⛕🚓iaaurant．"
"Mr．Kaffeeisalwaysravingaboutyourcookioldmeseveraltimestoaskyoutoeback，butIknewyouwouldn’🜜🃃🕉t．HereallymissesyourhomemadeItalianfood．Thisweekendwearehavingapartyforsomeoldfriends．Wouldyouliketocateradinnerforus?I’msuretheywoul🀙☴🃨dallloveit．"
"Withpleasure．Mr．Kaffeehastasteda🝅🈭llthegourmetfoodinthearea，aillremembersmyhomecooking!I’msofttered．I🎏🐈wouldbegdtoe．I’llbeoveronSatur⚘👭🌂daym．
"⚍🐋♸That’sitthen．Seey😏ouonSaturday．"
Mariannasawtwobeautifulyouhebackofthecar．Theysmiledatherandshesmiledback．Suddenly，thecarjerkedforedawayzigzagingly，obliviousoftrafficrules．
TheKaffeehouseholdwassomethingofamystery．NooneknewforcertaiherMr．andMrs．Kaffeewereactuallymanandwife．Theylivedtogetherandeveryonecalledher"Mrs．Kaffee".Mr．Kaffeewasinhissixtiesandlovedthefmboyant，oldworldlifestyle,surroundinghimselfwithluxuryaifulwomen．Healwaysworeexpewo–thousand-dolrsuits，silkshirtsanddiamondcufflinks．ThefactthatMrs．Kaffeetookallthiscarelesslyiride，ledmanytobelievethatshewasonlyoneofhisnumerousmistresses，elevatedtothepositionof"Mrs．Kaffee"forhersocialskillsa🎶teaiandformakinghislifefortable．TheKaffeeswerefamousfortheirparties，whichwereattendedbypolitisaeofthebusinessworl📝🛸d，drawntherebythebusihefood，thegamblingandthebeautifulwomen．Whicheverwoman，marriedorotherwise，thatMr．Kaffeefancied，Mrs.Kaffeewouldprocureforhim．Shewouldtryallkindsofwaystogettoknowher，beeherfriend，delugeherwithpresentsandpliments，andattheappropriatemoment，pullherintothe．Shewouldalsoextendherservieofhisprivilegedfriends，therebywinningthedubiouschmaker"．Mrs．Kaffeewasactuallythemadamofahigh🄫-csscallgirlring．Shehadtheknackoffindingfreshyouieswholookedcssy，asthoughtheycamefromrichfamilies．ShewouldprovidethemwithexpehesandjewelryandhavethemeainMr．Kaffee’sfriends．Theyductedtheirbusinessnaturallyandinspicuouslyinthatglitteringsociatmosphere．