Trafika Europe 9/10 - UK in Europe

JoMazelis

hand both inviting her to get on with her errand and dismissing the child at the same time. Amanda went to inspect the artificial flowers first. The ones inside the shop were somewhat forlorn, the fabrics used to make these were dull; brown tweeds and grey and dark- blue gabardine. As objects they still possessed some charm, but lacked the bright triumphant beauty of the ones in the window. Amanda was surprised by this and now understood why only the best ones with the richest fabrics took pride of place in the window. She went to look at these next and saw with delight that not only were they just as beautiful close up as they had seemed from afar, but the different

fabrics of each leaf and petal brought back distant memories of life before the war, before her mama became ill. The flower- printed crepe, the shiny sky-blue satin, the baby- pink silk and paisley swirls and deep red velvets and gold brocades all seemed to conjure school friends’ parties and her mother’s and aunt’s beautiful ball gowns and shawls. Amanda glanced up at her bedroom window once more and saw her doll on the ledge between the curtains. She wondered which flowers took the doll’s interest, but as she could not tell the precise direction of the glass-eyed gaze, Amanda resorted to make-believe, and imagined the doll was staring pointedly at four pink and white flowers which had been arranged

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