6. I WONDER LIYAN REALLY

- "I wonder, Liyan, really I wonder!... Once, my bin was full and I had finished my row, which means a tractor was going to come and get my bin and take me elsewhere. The other tractor was coming along fine when Him bolted out of a row of appletrees and literally swept me off my feet. I was sitting on his mud gard, next to him, my bin of apples in front and another one behind with my ladder on top. Him reversed quickly to get out of the row of trees, by a couple of centimeters only missed the other tractor on the way... It wasn't an ordinary manouver, Liyan, he didn't have to do that if he didn't really want to."

- "Do you think so?"

- "I am sure! Because what followed was a great moment of happiness. We drove to the shed via an outside road and up the hill we both laughed when he opened the throttle to go faster."

- "That doesn't mean a thing,' Liyan intervened.

- "Yes, it does, and a lot. He was happy too. I am sure of that, Liyan."

Elle thought nothing in this story could be proved by algebra in any case.

They had arrived like conquerors in the shed yard and had had to part quickly as if nothing had been because the boss had seen them.

- "Another time again, now listen carefully, I believe this one is evidence. Our team of pickers had been split in two groups, some working in a patch of appletrees with one tractor, and the others in another with the other tractor. Him had decided to put me in the group with the other tractor and for the whole day, I was like punished to see him at all. I thought he had done that to make me understand that there was really nothing betwen us. So, at lunch time, I avoided his eyes, I didn't smile or laugh and probably even pulled a long face. At knock-off time I went to the office to pick up my payslip which I normally would have asked him. And like by magic, he appeared next to me, on the office threshhold, looking at me radiant. He really didn't have to do that, you know, specially as he was laying himself open in front of the boss. But I understood he wanted me to know that..."

Elle could not utter the word. Liyan helped her.

- "That he loved you."

- "Yes, that's right."

Elle said no more.