Page 69 - What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

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SO THAT WAS how I met my friend Gepetta. And as you know, Myrna
Semyonova, three days later I was called back to your school, our school, and I
found Tyche Shaw waiting for me. And you were there, and so was Gustav
Grimaldi. Then I knew I’d been chosen, and I went to you. You smiled and said,
“Well done,” but it was Gustav who took my hand and said: “Welcome, Radha.
We’ll do such things together!”

My ghost friend was right: I disobeyed you and so you didn’t choose me. But
what were your reasons for choosing Tyche? I saw even then that you would try
your best to break what she carries.
Why are you telling me all this again, you say impatiently, but a person
doesn’t easily recover from the sadness of finding that it’s not always affinity

that draws us together (not always, not only), that you can be called to undo the
deeds of another. You make a lot of work for me—my blood runs cold to think
of it all—but you see I take strength from remembering that you began with
intentions that were pure.

II.

(YES)

RADHA AND GUSTAV had a shaky start. She brought me along to their first
meeting and the three of us walked around Berkeley Square. “Hi, Gepetta,”

Gustav said to me. He always says hello to me, even though I never reply. His
good manners are his own affair. Radha threw breadcrumbs to pigeons. Gustav
kept his sunglasses on the entire time and talked at length about the work of
several mid-twentieth-century filmmakers Radha had never heard of. I could see
Radha making up her mind that if she was going to learn anything from Gustav
it would be by accident, and I saw her changing her mind when he introduced
her to his puppets—“You’ve brought yours,” he said to Radha, nodding in my

direction, “and I’ve brought mine.” Four of them had accompanied him to this
meeting; two peeping out from each of his coat pockets. They were good-