I hoped my juices and other liquids didn't seep down into the rice because I really loved the lovely rice pudding she made quite often. It didn't hurt...very much and I remembered holding the red balloon in my hand and watched it floating in the air above me like some marker of my lost virginity. It was larger than ordinary balloons and seemed to be made of some material that was a bit sturdier than the regular thin latex. I suspected it was produced commercially for use in decorations requiring. “What do you mean by that?” I asked quite curiously. “You’re seventeen in less than a month and you’re still whipped on that Saskia girl. We need to get you over this, so I’ve arranged a little surprise for you..” I thought this over for the next couple of minutes. I’d liked this girl since the end of my primary school years and she’d known it, but always given me rejection and a very cold treatment. She’d done many bad things to me in the many years, to the extent of me needing to go and see a. “Well...” she sighs. “A few years ago my papa came in here to buy a large teddy bear, and I want to find out some things about him.”The girl gets a confused look on her face. “This place has only been opened for about six months. Are you sure it was here?”Ursula matches her look. “Are you sure? My papa said he talked to Curie personally.”“Unless there was a shop open somewhere else, I can’t see how,” the girl continues. “I can’t recall ever seeing one like this in town. I don’t think we sell. Finally, she sighed again and picked her fork back up. “He was trying to comfort me after your father’s death. I did not find his words much comfort.” Her tone said she did not want to talk about it.“Is the same minister still there?” I could not even remember his name, it had been so long ago.“I don’t think so.”“Do you think we could go tomorrow?”Mom laughed. “Paul, do you think it is a good idea to go to church just to have a chance to ask a girl out?”I shrugged and swallowed. “I can think of.