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The months following that incident were some of the happiest of my young life. I had a home—something I have not always been privy to—with a family of sorts. Certainly, my mother remained as painful to be around as ever, but Senka made my mother’s presence in my life bearable, as my sister was a happy child and capable of showing me the humor in just about anything.

My association with Batur continued to grow as well, and I began to spend every day with him in the mill, even...