On their way from Novi Sad to Philadelphia, where they now live, Vera and Branko Kolarević will stay with me in Reading for a couple of days. Their little son, Marko, is coming with them. He will be two in a few months. Vera, Branko, Lauren, and I were pretty much inseparable in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just before Lauren and I moved to the UK. Back then, we were very much in love. So many years later, I look forward to seeing Vera, Branko, and Marko, but I dread talking with them about Lauren, Dorian, and Maya. That is how long we had not had a chance to sit down and talk about things. A good measure of time, this.

Addendum I (January 11, 2003)

As I write, Vera, Branko, and Marko are on their way to Gatwick. It was wonderful having them at my place for a bit less than two days. Although Marko demands continuous attention, as is to be expected, we managed to talk as much as we wished while he was asleep. As for Lauren, Dorian, and Maya, it was actually me who kept broaching the subject. In fact, I kept returning to the happy memories of my love for Lauren before our departure from the States. Each and every time, Vera and Branko would just grin at me. “You were cute,” Branko nodded at one point. And that was all. In retrospect, I wonder what I dreaded before our reunion.

Addendum II (February 4, 2026)

As I just learned from Vera, Branko had passed away. In response to her electronic-mail message, I could not write more than a few words. Simply put, I was stumped. I was lost for words, that is. Born in 1963, Branko was so much younger than me that I expected him to outlive me by quite a few years. Looking back, though, it is amazing how many younger friends have beaten me to death so far. If I live to be ninety, as I expect on account of my parents’ longevity, such news will keep coming my way at an ever-faster rate. And I cringe at the decade ahead of me. Luckily, friends like Branko are not too many. In other words, I will not be stumped way too often. A good measure of time, to be sure.