The View
She was in coveralls, smudged by soot from head to toe.
She had been cleaning the fireplace of one of the apartment she owns. She did not look the part at that time – but I was looking at one of the more financially savvy immigrant septuagenarian of Vancouver. Her eyes had confidence as it held mine, and kindness too, perceptible and palpable, the trait of ladies who have aged gently. I could tell life has been good to her, because maybe she has been good to it.
I was a prospective renter and I engaged her in conversation because her story – which I knew from people who knew her for some time – greatly interested me. She owned several apartments but she arrived in Canada without money, or possessions. I wondered how that could be, what’s her story, and can it be duplicated?