It had been a long wait, and still no one came.

Sat in the crowd the girl radiated the luminosity of her youth. But the weight of her place had already set her expression.

Come, come play for us they said. They teased and cajoled. He closed his eyes and lost himself to his song.

Was he dreaming of another place.

“Gloria” hosted her guests with the promise of three meals a day We hovered by the dining room in anticipation. Her promise kept, nothing was left behind.

It was raining as the train pulled in at the station in Sochi. A song played over and over on the tannoy, “Sochi, oh Sochi it’s a wonderful town”, Young soldiers bullied a small group of rough sleepers, possible terrorists…