It happened precisely four weeks ago. I met Pablo, who was working in the OSCE mission in Sarajevo until yesterday, in this restaurant. We discussed the elections that seemed likely to come soon, the Bosnia Conference in Florence and the general political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our intense discussion was interrupted by two ladies who sat down at our table. Pablo introduced them to me: Katherine from the Caribbean and Jacqueline from England, both of them working for an international organisation in Sarajevo. We continued our discussion, all four of us joining in now. Gradually, pangs of hunger gained the upper hand. I suggested we go to a restaurant in the hills outside Sarajevo. The other three agreed to my suggestion, and we took a taxi up to "Kod Kibeta", high in the hills overlooking the town.
We sat at a round table, ordered lamb, salads and wine and continued our discussion still further. As the food and drinks were served, night fell and it became colder and colder. Katherine was trembling with the cold! She moved next to me, so close that our knees were touching. I asked the waiter to bring her a warm pullover and a blanket, which he obligingly did.
I felt a glow inside me, such as I had not felt for a long time. I was shivering - not because of the cold but because I felt hot. Each time our knees met it was like the delights of sunbathing - it was as if I had been hit by a stroke of lightening. Katherine exuded friendliness, warmth and tenderness through her knee. I could scarcely take part in the discussion any more. I could scarcely manage to speak.
After two hours we decided to leave and to return home on foot. We divided into twosomes: Pablo took Katherine on his arm, while Jacqueline and I formed the second couple. Halfway along, Pablo took leave of us.