Many years later I was living with my own family in a different city. My husband and I had become very friendly with another family who had children of the same age as ours. One summer evening, we (1) ..…... (sit) together in the garden telling stories about pets we (2) (have) in the past. Then Barry, the father of the other family, (3) .................... (announce) that the Greatest Pet of All Time was his blue parakeet, Sweetie Pie. 'The best thing about Sweetie Pie,' he (4) (explain), 'was the way we got him. One day, when I was about eight, I (5). (stand) outside my house. Then, out of a clear blue sky, a little blue parakeet just (6).. (fly) down ****** and (7) .................. (land) on my finger.' I was astounded. When I was finally able to speak, we (8) ................. (examine) the evidence. The dates and the locations and the description of the bird all (9) ................ (match) up. Apparently forty years before we had actually met, our two families (10) (be) linked by Perky. ******** That night I (11) (phone) my sister and said to her, 'You were right! Perky did find a new home!'​