Page 44 - RotalTutor

yellowish-brown stick. He knelt down and crossed his arms on his chest, then pointed to Louise. The small girl glanced over at Louise and nodded. She walked shyly over to her, motioning with her dusty finger for Louise to lean down. Louise obliged, and the small girl threw her arms around Louise’s neck, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Hurrying back to Alexander, she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek as well. He held out the item to her, and she took it and scampered off. Each child waited impatiently for their turn, and each, in turn, received one of the yellow-brown sticks. When they were done, Louise could see an unfamiliar expression on Alexander’s face. His smile was still there, but there was a softness to him. She felt a string from her heart tugging the tears from her eyes, and she had to blink them back. After the last child was gone, Alexander reached in the bag and pulled out the last stick. He handed it to her and smiled. She looked at it suspiciously. He laughed. “It’s good. Just lick it.” She tasted it, and her mouth danced. As she licked at it again and again, he grinned. “A trader from the east taught me how to make it from cream and honey. He called it ‘honey candy’.” Louise could never remember eating anything so good. She could easily have eaten many more, but she realized how selfish that thought was since Alexander hadn’t even saved one for himself, even though he surely must have been starving. As they mounted and 42