"You're late, grandson," Pătru said, his eyes twinkling. "The mountain doesn't like to be kept waiting when the veil is thin."
In a quiet village nestled between rolling hills, the town hall—the "Primarie"—stood as a sturdy anchor for the community. But for young Andrei, life truly began "de la primarie-n sus" (from the town hall upward), where the paved road gave way to a winding dirt path that climbed toward the ancient forest. De la primarie-n sus
Andrei’s grandfather, Moș Pătru, lived at the very top of that path. His house was the last one before the trees took over. Every Saturday, Andrei would make the trek, his boots kicking up dust as he passed the Primarie's freshly painted fence. He always felt a sense of transition as he climbed; the houses became smaller, their gardens wilder, filled with sprawling rosebushes and tall sunflowers that seemed to watch him pass. "You're late, grandson," Pătru said, his eyes twinkling