On my floor, there are 8 apartments. The one over by the lifts is where a single mum with 3 children lives. The oldest boy is an early teenager. The two younger ones are around 3 and 8 years old. Weve lived across from each other for over a year, and on several occasions Ive spontaneously commented on how polite her children are (especially the teenage boy). If he is heading out of the building, he always allows others to go first. He always says Excuse me! or Thank you! as you pass him on the stairs. All three children are very well-behaved. The mother (whose name Ive never asked, nor offered my own) always smiles quietly, dips her chin, and in a soft voice says You are very kind. Shes always struck me as shy. This afternoon as I was leaving to walk Copa, the mother was in the lobby near the lifts. All three children were with her, and the youngest was crying at their apartment door. He was having a minor tantrum, in tears, and clearly wanted to go back in. She was carrying some sporting equipment, the older boy was carrying a couple of bags clearly packed for an outing somewhere, and the lifts were arriving. She looked desperately between the upset young child wanting to go back into the locked apartment, and the arriving lift and other two children, packed and ready to go. She was having to make a choice. The lift opened and I walked past them, blocked the door open, and said to her Go, and nodded at the youngest child, who was sitting and sobbing on the carpet. She looked dubious, but I said Ill wait here with the lift. Copa would love to say hi to the boys. She smiled with relief, and heading back into her apartment for whatever the toddler had left behind. The two older boys dropped the bags, and plopped down on the floor as Copa licked their faces and bounced around and across their laps. The 8 year-old squealed I want one! She came back out, carrying the toddler who was now sucking his thumb and desperately clutching a bear, with big wet streaks down his face. She stood just for a moment, watching the boys play with Copa, and then said to them Lets go. Were already much too late. She said it softly. Until that moment, it was the most words I have ever heard her speak. The boys obeyed instantly, the older one grinning and said I like her! (looking at Copa) Thank you! and we all piled into the lift. The mother said something quietly to the middle boy in (I think) Lebanese, and the boy looked down and brushed at his shirt. The lift opened, and we all made our way out of the building. The whole thing lasted about 8 or 9 minutes, and I was happy to have helped in a small way. Theyre my neighbours, you know? As we left the building, I turned right. She and the boys turned left. She stopped, took three steps back and put her hand on my arm, and smiled. I rode with you, she said. I looked back, not immediately understanding. What? I said, thinking shed seen me on the bus or something. She glanced back to see if the boys were listening, and if possible she lowered her voice even more. The city, she said. Yesterday. And everything, she glanced at her boys again, and shifted the toddler on her hip. She smiled, but it was a sad, sincere smile. It hurt to look at it. You are a nice man, she said, and patted my arm twice. She turned, and headed off with her boys. Honestly, it took about 30 seconds for it to hit me. Ive seen her so often, and only thought of her as the mother across the hall with the polite, well-behaved children. But as she walked away, talking to her boys... her hijab was fluttering behind her on this windy Sydney afternoon. I rode with you, she had said. A dump-truck full of bricks descended on my carefully maintained emotional control. I cried all the way to the dog park. #IWillRideWithYou #JMOG
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 08:38:02 +0000