"She nodded wearily – I found her a towel and left her to it.There's something about sleeping alone in a house; you become aware of every creak, kno...k and squeak. It always amazes me how different it is when there's someone else in the house. So when I went to bed myself, I lay there, listening to the silence. The silence that meant, I wasn't alone in the house.In the morning, I was up at my usual time, like a lot of older people I wake early and usually have breakfast about six o'clock. Akemi. He should be at least 45 years old. He hugged my mom and said his name was John.We started eating dinner.“You have very great cooking skills,” John said.“Thank you, sir” she repliedWe finished our dinner. But we were still at the dining table. John put his right arm around mom’s neck. He came forward towards her to kiss. Dad coughed signaling that we were there to his boss.“Ok boys you go get some sleep, we are going to discuss something that you guys shouldn’t hear,” John said.We went to our. "Loves yer back Oi does."Jerry went to help himself to cereal. That was their morning ritual and normally Emma's eyes sparkled. They did not this morning. He wondered why: something on her mind? He shrugged mentally. She was probably getting in a last minute stew about Christmas preparations.Emma was abnormally quiet at breakfast and in the end Jerry asked her if everything was all right."Yes. Fine. I'm just sort of running through things in my head." Well, if there's a panic your manservant is. I was to benamed 'Wendy', a name I don't really like and so didn't adopt formyself when I realized who I was. There were only two other kids myage on our apartment house floor, both girls. So at a very early age,Marla and Susie became my playmates.I dimly remember playing house with them and their dolls, or being inthe courtyard playing jump-rope or hopscotch. Back in that era, thegirls always wore dresses in our area, though my mom never dressed meas a girl (that I remember!). But I know.