Chapter 7

After the plane touched down in France, I received a call from Zoran.

"Autumn, everything's been taken care of as you requested. Ezra's my brother, but what he did was downright inhuman. Leaving him is the best thing for you. Here's to your new life."

After a brief pause, Zoran spoke again.

"If you ever run into trouble again, don't hesitate to give me a call." Zoran's call put my mind at ease.

Indeed, the number I dialed that day was Zoran's.

I've known Zoran for twenty years now.

My journey from that isolated mountain village to New York City,

was all thanks to the support of Zoran's family.

In that era when information was hard to come by,

I'd receive letters from Zoran in New York City almost every month.

He'd share interesting stories from his school,

confide in me about his troubles and confusions,

and include photos showcasing the bustling scenes of New York City.

Those letters were my motivation to leave the mountains behind.