Chapter Forty One

On the last night of the year, the whole family always gathered in the space inbetween the first gate and the second gate. Some people stood while others brought out seats from their houses.

From where Mark stood with Joseph and his cousins who were in the same age bracket, he could see Kamsi and Michelle where they sat side by side on the concrete stand that held up the artificial Christmas tree. They never stopped talking, their eyes darted around and then they bent and laughed while talking. He was far from them and he could not hear a word they spoke but he could tell...