he was tall , with sun-bleached hair . and wearing scuffy trousers and a brown jacket with leather patches at tjhe elbow . i knew him well from photographs .
he rang the doorbell . it took rose a minute or so to open the door . aminute when she would have said to the hiden banthan . what is your story ? and nathan would reply . there's no point in concealing it any longer .
rose appeared on the doorstep ." hal ..." i heard her say . "oh , good .oh , good ." she reached up kissed him . and his arm snaked round her . then i drew a sharp breath , as rose called over her shoulder ," magagine , he's here ," and a smartly dressed woman emerged .
the three of them chatted for a while . magazine was a small woman with carefully dyed hair , who gesticulated a lot . hal was less vocal , but amused , his arm around rose's shoulders . when he smiled the lines on his face were etched deep . and rose ? rose was radiant , her happiness almost palpable and living - a feeling she woke up to each day and defined the seconds and minutes as they slipped past .
those time- tested loyalties stretched between the three . even if i had not known who they were , it was clear they were old friends but i did know who they were , and years ago rose and i had sat over salad lunches and discussed most things , including thier froendship .
nose buried in the flowers , rose went inside and remeerged to ock the door . hal linked arms with both women and they walked into the street . they were too busy talking to notice me . as they passed , i heard rose's friend say ," c'est la betise rose . tu sais . hal is impossible ..." rose turned her head looked at hal .
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