but he had n't returned home until months later , and he 'd never noticed the tree . it must have been very difficult for a german living in this country straight after the war finished . i looked over at the soda cooler where she and two other girls were choosing forms of caffeine . `` up , '' he scolds , bossy as ever . if he gripped any harder , i was afraid he would snap his fingers off . `` how can anyone say that my life is my own ? '' the last few days have been uneventful . 