John, Lovely. Amazing just how much you can weave into your narrative. That too in such a limiting space. Packful of details to engender an imagery as natural and powerful as it can be - condensed yet their meanings far extends the boundaries of the narrative itself. You have a natural flair for words and not all of us are gifted with such craftsmanship. Not to realise and use it will be such a waste, and I hope that this is not the case and that you'll keep on regaling us (dare I say, your fans!) with more stories for as long as you can. A delightful read and thank you. On a sep note - I have been spending a lot of my spare time during tea breaks at work to surf and read interesting threads with stories/poetry. Great many excellent writings. Loved the ones by SITARA most - our very own Jhumpa Lahiri in the making! Or Mansfield. The latter being one of my fav short story writers apart from Hemingway and Kafka. Have a good day. Carpe diem