Mathilde remembers when she first met Manech. It is summer of 1910 and she is ten years old while Manech is thirteen. She is outside of her house and he walks past even though it is not on his way home. His first words to her are, "You can't walk?" She shakes her head and then Manech asks if she has any friends; Mathilde once again shakes her head. Manech offers to be her friend but Mathilde declines the offer quite rudely. He tells her how strong she is and that he could teach her to swim, but Mathilde once again refuses. All that night Mathilde thinks of Manech. The next day he returns to her house at the same time and she takes him up on his earlier offer to.....
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