Friday, September 9, 2016
TO SUSIE`S FAMILY
WHERE DO I START?
1956, HER ARRIVAL TO MONTREAL.
HER 1ST JOB AT BELL, ALTHOUGH STRESSED, SHE HAD THE BIGGEST SMILE AND WAS SO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HER FUTURE WITH HER LOVING JOHN.
SHE HAD $2.00 ALLOWANCE TO TAKE THE BUS HOME, BUT SHE PREFERRED TO RUN HOME FOR LUNCH AND BACK TO SAVE THAT MONEY. SHE NEVER COMPLAINED AND ALWAYS APPRECIATED TO BE IN CANADA.
I TRAINED HER ON HER 1ST JOB ON VERIFICATION. IT TOOK 2 DAYS WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN 2 HOURS. DUE TO HER LACK OF THE LANGUAGE.
I WOULD GIVE HER INFO. AND ASK IF SHE UNDERSTOOD AND SHE WOULD ALWAYS ANSWER "YAH- YAH," BUT I TOOK HER UNDER MY WINGS AND SO APPRECIATED THE COMPLEX LIFE SHE WAS LIVING.
WE BECAME GOOD FRIENDS. SHE OFTEN CAME IN WITH HER WONDERFUL HUNGARIAN DESSERTS WHICH WE ALL FOUGHT TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO GRAB A PIECE. SHE WAS SO PROUD.
AS LIFE WOULD HAVE IT WE WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS WHEN I LEFT BELL TO RAISE MY NEW BABY, BUT WE KEPT IN TOUCH.
HER FAVOURITE CONVERSATIONS WERE HER FAMILY; HER SON JOHN AND HIS STUDIES AND MUSIC AND CHRISTINA WITH HER BALLET AND MME??? HER BALLET TEACHER. OH HOW SHE WAS PROUD OF THOSE CHILDREN. HER JOHN HAD THE PATIENCE, THE AMBITION, THE LOVE THAT SHE SO NEEDED.
A FEW YEARS BACK SHE WAS IN MONTREAL AND CALLED ME TO MEET HER AT THE AIRPORT TO RECONNECT AND CATCH UP WITH OUR LIVES. I WAS REINTRODUCED TO JOHN AND HE LEFT US ALONE TO CHAT. SHE TOLD ME ABOUT HER CONDITION AND SEEMED ALL BRAVE AND POSITIVE ABOUT IT.
I CALLED HER A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER AND SHE HAD DIFFICULTY SPEAKING WITH ME AND RATHER THAN CALL HER AGAIN, I WAS LEFT WITH THE GOOD MEMORIES (OF THAT LITTLE HUNGARIAN GIRL IN 1956 WITH BRIGHT EYES LOOKING TO THE FUTURE)
I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE HER FRIENDSHIP AND WANT TO OFFER MY DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO HER LOVED ONES. I PRAY FOR YOUR STRENGTH.
GOOD BYE SUSIE.
YOUR 1ST CANADIAN FRIEND XO
