Summary

In Chapter 7, Simon receives a letter informing him that he and David have been assigned an apartment in a place called East Village and they move in. David befriends another young boy in their apartment complex called Fidel. Fidel’s mother, Elena, offers to teach David how to play the violin. Simon asks Elena whether there is a man in her life and privately considers whether or not he is trying to seduce her.

In Chapter 8, Elena and Fidel spend the night in Simon and David’s apartment because of a blackout. Elena and Simon have sex. They continue their relationship over the following weeks and discuss getting married. Simon feels that their relationship lacks passion whereas Elena feels that passion is part of an old way of thinking that doesn’t apply to people’s lives anymore.

In Chapter 9, Simon and David take...