Pictures of You Read Online Free PDF Page A

a soft bed above all, she plodded on.
    Turning left at the corner, Eva spotted an elderly couple about halfway down the street. Increasing her pace to intercept them before they had a chance to disappear into yet another of those azure-rimmed doorways, she waved with both hands to attract their attention as she dashed across the street. It was immediately clear to her that though the years had taken their toll physically on these two, leaving bodies bent and skin creased, there were still strong currents of life and love passing back and forth between them. As they walked, the man’s arm was comfortably secured about his wife’s waist in a simple gesture of support, her hand covering his there in confirmation of mutual need and appreciation.
    Hesitant at disturbing this atmosphere of intimacy, Eva slowed as she reached them. The warmth and openness on their faces as they turned to her, though, gave her the courage she needed. Panting from her brief sprint in the oppressive heat, with one hand on her chest in a vain effort to slow its wild thudding, Eva once again burst into her plea.

    â€œI’m a stranger here. I don’t know my way around.” How stupid, she chided herself. They can see that without being able to understand me at all.
    â€œI need a hotel. Ho-tel.” Again, she spoke the word slowly, as though they would be better able to understand the separate syllables than the whole. It was no more successful this time than it had been the last. So, she decided, she would try the name. It would be interesting to see if it evoked any reaction here.
    â€œRoberto de Carvalho? I need to find Roberto de Carvalho. Do you know him?”
    She need only have said it once, for she detected the same instant recognition of this name as she had at each previous mention of it. The man looked at his wife, who looked back at him, both expressions conveying a sense of gentle amusement as they turned their eyes back to Eva. Nodding as if in total understanding, the woman raised her arm and pointed back in the direction from which Eva had originally come. Slightly annoyed at the suggestive glances which had connected her in some intimate way with this Roberto de Carvalho, Eva was about to object when she suddenly felt too hot and weary to say another word. Smiling weakly, she retraced her steps to the house in which she had left her luggage. Instinctively, she believed that this woman would yet be able to help her.
    And as misguided as her instincts had been on a few notable occasions, they were right on target now. She re-entered the house, with a brief knock on the wood of the open door, to find herself face to face with this sweet-countenanced woman, who seemed, to Eva’s puzzlement, not at all surprised to see her. She did seem greatly alarmed, however, at the deterioration in Eva’s physical appearance that these few minutes of streetwalking had brought about. Eva’s hair was damp on her forehead and neck, her sun dress similarly clung
to her, and the flush of heat and exertion that had appled her cheeks was yielding to a mild pallor.
    Immediate concern clouded the woman’s soft features as she jumped forward to take Eva’s hand and lead her across the room, through the door, and up a narrow flight of stairs. Eva willingly let herself be drawn, sensing and appreciating this woman’s maternal concern for her, believing herself to be in good hands, and too fatigued at the moment to wonder any further.
    As they climbed the stairs, the woman repeatedly looked back at Eva’s face as though she expected the girl to pass out at any moment. The handgrip remained firm as they reached the top of the stairs. Eva saw several doors on either side of a small hallway, one of which the woman opened and guided Eva through. Only when she was safely inside the room was Eva’s hand released.
    As simple and functional as the downstairs room had been, this was even more so. Immaculate and well kept,