sorry to have bothered you. An old body like mine just doesn’t work the same as a lovely young one like yours. And lovely you are. Please forgive me for staring, but I’ve not seen a copper head of hair as beautiful as yours in quite a long time.”
“Thanks,” Garnet said, and she felt her face flush as it did when any compliment came her way. “My mother was actually going to call me Angela if I was a girl — I mean, before I was born — but when she saw my hair, she decided on Garnet instead. You know, like the jewel. Guess it’s better than Ruby,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Elizabeth chuckled. “It’s a very good name and your mother was right. It does suit you.” She took another sip of her drink, then pointed to the chair Garnet was sitting in. “That chair. I have a pair of them nearly like that, only they’re looking more worn. Yours looks wonderful.”
“Oh, thanks,” Garnet said, pleased that she had noticed it amongst their eclectic mix of furniture. “Mom and I picked it up dirt cheap a couple of years ago at a yard sale outside of Owen Sound, where we used to live. The seat was ripped out and the wooden arms were all scratched up, but Mom — she loves this stuff — said, ’Let’s get that chair. It’ll be beautiful when we’re done with it.’ So we took it home and refinished it. We’re going to work on an antique dining room table next — that is, when my mother finds the time.”
If she ever finds the time. But Garnet didn’t say that. The thing was, Garnet didn’t see any point in refinishing any more furniture, as long as they lived in this place. The antique furniture had been perfect in their Victorian house in Owen Sound, but here, it looked out of place with the modern architecture.
“Very lovely,” Elizabeth said. “So, how long have you lived in Kitchener?”
“Only a few weeks,” Garnet replied. Five weeks to the day, to be exact.
“And how do you like it?”
Garnet shrugged. “I miss my friends.”
“Of course.” Elizabeth nodded with understanding. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Garnet shook her head. “No. It’s just me and my mom. My parents got divorced when I was seven and my dad travels all over the world for his job. I don’t see him much.”
“I see,” Elizabeth replied. “So, I suppose you miss him a little, too?”
Garnet shrugged. “Hardly. He calls sometimes and I saw him last year when he was in Toronto. But it’s really not that much different from when I was a kid. He was never around much then, either.”
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’ll be sixteen in September.”
“Somehow you seem older than your years.” Elizabeth set the empty glass down on the coffee table, then pursed her lips as she glanced at her watch. “Well, I’d best be going home.” She stood up and leaned on her cane to steady herself. “Thank you for the water.”
“Would you like me to walk with you?” Garnet asked.
“Oh, I couldn’t trouble you, dear. I’ll be fine.”
“It would be no trouble. I’d like to go with you,” Garnet found herself insisting, surprising even herself with her interest in this woman. What was the matter with her? Why did she care? This woman was a total stranger in a city she had so far found to be only unfriendly. And yet she felt inexplicably drawn to her.
Elizabeth tilted her head. “All right then. If you’d like to, let’s go.”
Garnet matched the woman’s snail-like pace as they walked under the shade of the tall oaks and maples that lined the streets in this part of the city. The houses were at least a hundred years old, each one unique and different from the one next to it. Her mother told her that houses like this once stood where Garnet’s townhouse was, until a developer knocked them down a few years ago and built a modern condominium complex in their place.
“This is it,” Elizabeth said when they reached one of the houses in a quiet cul-de-sac just a few doors away from Victoria Park.
Garnet looked up at the facade that greeted them. “You live here?”
“I do,” Elizabeth panted as she strained to make it up the four wide steps of the stone verandah that wrapped around the left side of the house. “It’s been my home since 1940, but that still hasn’t been enough time to — never mind,” she finished, suddenly tight-lipped.
The grand red-brick house was three storeys tall, including the attic space. White paint was beginning to flake on the balcony over the verandah and on the gingerbread trim decorating the gables, but overall, the house appeared to be in fairly good shape. The upper panes of the windows still held the original stained glass. A brass lion knocker adorned the heavy oak front door.
Elizabeth opened her purse and pushed aside the bulky envelope with the wad of hundred-dollar notes. “Here we are,” she said, pulling out her keys. No sooner had she unlocked the door than a yellow-brown cat appeared in the hall to greet her with a low meow and nudged at Elizabeth’s ankles with affection. “Hello, Ginger. How’s my pet? She’s the first loyal cat I’ve ever owned,” Elizabeth confided.
“Do you think you’ll be all right?” Garnet asked, noticing how flushed the woman’s face had become again just from the walk home.
“I’ll be fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Now that I’m home, I’ll put my feet up and have a rest. I’ll be as good as new.”
Garnet wasn’t so convinced and found herself saying, “Why don’t I leave you my number? You can call me if you don’t feel well. Do you have any paper?” She could hardly believe her own ears. What in the world was wrong with her? She hadn’t made any friends in five weeks at school and here she was, offering her phone number to an old lady she had only just met. Had she become that desperate for a friend?
“I do. Just a moment,” Elizabeth said. She rummaged through her purse, pulling up several dogeared receipts. The bulky envelope, which had pushed itself up, unexpectedly jumped out and fell at Garnet’s feet. She bent down and handed it back to Elizabeth.
“Oh, thank you, dear,” Elizabeth said, frowning at it before she shoved it back into her purse.
The question was on the tip of Garnet’s tongue: why was Elizabeth carrying around so much cash? She was dying to ask her, but she supposed it was really none of her business.
Elizabeth handed her a pen and one of the old receipts. Garnet quickly scribbled her name and phone number before handing them back to her.
“Now, if you’re not feeling good, call me. I’ll drop by sometime tomorrow and see how you’re doing,” Garnet said.
Elizabeth’s face brightened. “Well, I’d enjoy that very much. But don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Thank you for taking care of me and seeing that I arrived home safely. Not many people nowadays would take the time.”
Garnet said goodbye and headed home. She was still worried about Elizabeth.
A ray of morning sunshine streamed between the slats and into Garnet’s eyes. “Stupid blinds,” she
