Trafika Europe 8 - Romanian Holiday

Life Begins on Friday

were at a more acute angle than usual, like upturned letters v. He kissed the toy cow and handed it over, glancing sideways. Costache examined it and then stood up andwent to the fireplace. Nicu was convinced that he was about to throw it on the fire and tried not to cry out. Costache dropped it, whether deliberately or not, but the legs of Fira the cow got caught in the grating of the fireguard and there she clung. ‘You may take her,’ said Costache, without giving any explanation. ‘You may also take the pencil and the paper, as a present. But here’s the thing! Do you want to help the stranger or not?’ Nicu acknowledged that he did. The cop instructed him for a long while and then

released him. ‘How’s your mother?’ he asked in lieu of saying goodbye. ‘Well,’ replied Nicu, ending his visit to the police station as he had begun it, which is to say, with another lie. How did he know his mother? Costache was a good policeman, so much was true, but that did not mean the police station was a good place. He ought not to push his luck. And so he left at a run. _____

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