“Good afternoon, Nimm,” Chichi said. “This is Sunny.”

Sunny stood there staring. That’s what she calls her mother? “Good afternoon,” she finally croaked.

“I’m glad to hear that you have a voice,” Chichi’s mother said, not unkindly.

“I-I have a voice…” Sunny managed.

Chichi’s mother chuckled. “Would you like some tea?”

Sunny hesitated. Where would Chichi’s mother warm up the water? Would she have to go outside and make a fire? But it was also rude to act as if there was nowhere to do it. “Um, yes, please,” she said.

Chichi’s mother picked up a tea kettle and left the hut.

“Sit on this,” Chichi said, pointing at a large thick book. “We’ve both read it so many times we really don’t need it anymore.”

Sunny couldn’t see the title on the spine. “Okay.”

Chichi sat beside her on the dirt floor and grinned. “So this is where I live,” she said.

“Wow, so many books. What about when it rains?”

Chichi laughed hard at this. “Don’t worry. I’ve lived here all my life and never seen a book come to harm.”

They were quiet for a moment, the only sound the whistle of the tea kettle outside. That was fast, Sunny thought. Must be a fire out back. But she didn’t recall seeing any smoke before they went in.

“So your mother has read all these?” she asked.

“Not all,” Chichi said. “Most. I’ve read a lot of them, too. We bring in new books and trade back the ones we’re sick of.”

“So this is what you do instead of school.”

“When I’m not traveling about.”

Sunny fidgeted. It was getting late. “Um… what secret are you going to tell me?” Before Chichi could answer, her mother came with the tea. Sunny took one of the porcelain cups. Its rim was chipped and the handle was broken off. The other two cups didn’t look much better.

“Thank you,” she said politely. She took a sip and smiled. It was Lipton, only slightly sweetened, just the way she liked it.