She looked up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth spread in a soft O of amazement. She was about to begin nodding when reality sunk in, and she fell back onto her stool with a shuddering of her shoulders.

"I - I would go... But now I have nowhere left!..." She trailed off, her eyes going huge and then shimmering with the silent kiss of glistening tears. Her head bent once more, and she looked up at the broad, tall, American GI, confusion evident even as she sniffled, attempting to bite back the moisture in her eyes.

"I might stay with Purit... but-" she glanced into the darkened barroom, and spied her friend sprawled in a soldier's lap. "But maybe that's not such a good idea," she whispered softly, and then turned towards Bob.

"Please - you know of somewhere I can go stay?" she blurted out, her english words stumbling and stilted as the words rushed past her lips.