"Oh my," she said softly. What an interesting fellow he was turning out to be, candid about his having problems as well as his siblings. "I agree... My father is a good example of not knowing what to do and it was my aunt who doled out the punishment. I was raised by her, my mother's sister, up until I was sent off to school. I would rather take her punishment then get a switching."

Menachem ah'd and shook his head. "My parents didn't really care one way or another. I was actually a good child, strange enough. But I had older brothers. Let it be known, children can be very cruel. Eventually I couldn't take it any more." He held out his hand. "I decided to become the kind of person people don't like to mess with. And see how well it's made me today." He laughed. "Though they are looking down on me still because I didn't become successful." He shrugged. "I don't care."

"That's awful," she said with a frown. "You're right that children can be cruel. My brother hardly acts as if I am alive and he is my twin. I would write to him when I learned to write and he hardly ever wrote back, and when he did it was always something that left me feeling cool indifference from the tone of his writing. Have you ever wanted to scream at someone that you aren't invisible?"

Menachem shrugged. "I'd have rather been invisible. But the trick to that is make yourself not invisible. Do something to ruin his life, day, whatever. Then he has to notice you.If you know any secrets that could mess with him I'd say don't keep them a secret."

"I think I would still see you if you were invisible... You're too handsome to be." She said it without flirtation in her voice, stating it as a fact and nothing more. "At least I think so anyway."

With a small chuckle, he thanked her. "Well you are alone in a strange town. You might be on the lookout for a friendly face. Glad it was mine. I may be a good guy but I like to think I'm not a bad guy."

"I'd like to think of you as good, so I will continue to do so," she chuckled softly. Her eyes were on his face and she regarded him with a calm expression.