Ana walked gingerly down the road that ran by all the best farmland, glancing over her shoulder and off to her side every once and while. She slowed down and sped up depending on the scenery. The sky was gray-green with the constant threat of rain, and a cold shrill wind blew all around her, tossing her hair in her face. She was constantly occupied with trying to keep the curly red strands out of her eyes and smoothed down, tucked behind her ears. The sun, while warm enough for the season, only dared to dart out in spots and dashes along the ground. All in all it was a terrible day to be out walking.

She stopped for a moment under a large lonely tree on the side of the road and waited…waited to see if someone would happen to walk by. If she was not mistaken this was the normal path of her intended target. My target, she laughed to herself. Her ambush was so well planned out. He had no idea at all that he was being pursued.

She stood under the tree and thought of all the things that must be happening the world over, like someone right at that second was forgetting some very important task; someone

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was being born and someone just took their last breath; someone had just heard a scary story and was feeling chilled to the bone; someone with a perfect body and lovely face was getting everything, just everything, they wanted from life. And here she was, feeling the cold wind and the rough pull of wool against her skin. The world felt both objective and devious to her right then, at that moment in time, on this spot on earth.

A horse thundered down the path, kicking up dust, and almost caused her to fall down from the surprise. She steadied herself and stood watching as the horse and rider rode far off into the distance. The dust cleared out and off behind her she heard a quiet voice. She turned her head a bit, toward the sound, and was taken by surprise. There he came walking peacefully down the lane toward her, grinning. She was annoyed and embarrassed… ambushed in her own ambush.

“Our new policeman,” Avram said smoothly, coolly and with complete confidence. He drove her wild, so damned…oh, just so damned everything.

“Oh, its you,” she said sharply, her face burning red.

“Yes, its me and that was him, our new policeman.” Avram gestured toward the rapidly disappearing dust cloud.

“We have a new policeman?” she asked, calming down a bit, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“It appears so. A wonderful man, I can tell you that much.”

“You’ve met him?”

“Yes, over at the Perlov’s just a while ago.”

“Why do you get to meet the new people?”

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“Important I guess,” he shrugged. “And besides, you don’t want to meet him.”

“Important, you? No one else says so, nu?”

“Oh, they are just jealous. You know how people can be. You look very nice. Why is it that you’re standing out here under this tree dressed so well?”

“I am on my way into town to get things for my mother,” Ana said nonchalantly.

Avram laughed and started to walk beside her.

“Why do you laugh?” Ana asked, irritated “Don’t you laugh at me!”

“Oh, now, I wasn’t laughing at you.”

“Then why were you laughing?”

“Because you are nowhere near town and, in fact, nowhere near the way to town.”

“Maybe I’m lost. You should try to help me then, not mock me. Don’t be a brute.”

“Me, a brute? You have the wrong man there. And you are not lost. You know it and so do I.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have much more to today, Ana. I am a busy man.”

“Don’t you want to stay and talk to me?”

“Well yes, of course, but first I must do my work. I have a good job and I simply must stay diligent and valuable to my employers. Maybe someday it could be of some consequence to you, eh?”

“Avram, were you at my house today?”

“When?”

“This morning.”

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“Why, was someone at your house this morning?”

“Will you answer my question?”

“You look cold, you had better get to town and do as your mother asks and get back home.”

“So, you are leaving me here?” Ana asked, hurt.

“I am. I must. I am sorry.”

“When will you…”

“Be back? See you again?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“Well, as you have just proved so perfectly, I am not a terribly hard man to track down, and as you certainly know, I know where it is that you live. You’ll see me soon enough.” Avram smiled.

And Ana had to stand there all alone, watching, as he walked briskly down the lane, off to more of what she thought had to be the dreariest, most laborious and awful tasks. She felt bad for herself, alone and cold, but she felt worse for him. So strange a feeling…and so unfamiliar.