21.   And as the years passed, the family gradually succumbed to the centrifugal force of its disappointments and losses.

22.   And so the years passed.

23.   And now a year has passed, quickly but eventfully.

24.   And the years passed.

25.   Another year passes for someone who has no need for a calendar, for whom Groundhog Day is on automatic rewind.

26.   Another year passed, another batch of workers was trained.

27.   Another year passed.

28.   Anyway, as the years passed and the boy eased into manhood, I found myself basking in the spillover of his various accomplishments.

29.   Another year will pass in the wait for a contender.

30.   As the years have passed I have come to see many things in a new light, but my attitudes toward Chavchavadze have never changed.