A Strange Reflection

I headed to the West end to visit a 93-year-old relative on Saturday. It was an adventure by transit because the LRT did not run all the way downtown from the East End this week-end and there were also bus detours throughout the city core due to the demonstrations for "freedom". It wasn't just out-of-town people occupying Ottawa though. On the way I saw entire families with kids in tow, parking their cars at Gloucester Centre and St. Laurent Mall, to take the train and wave their signs, flags, and jerry cans. So I felt some satisfaction that they will be inconvenienced.

We had a nice lunch of stir-fried shrimp and veggies. As usual, they told me stories (though some of them were repeats) of their childhood in the old country. Afterward, I received a big bag of food to take with me. Instead of taking the zig-zagging bus I decided to take the train to the Ottawa University stop and walked about 15 minutes to get to my connection home.

I haven't been on campus in decades. With limited acreage on which to grow, the university has sprouted new buildings everywhere. When I got to King Edward and Laurier, I took a right turn on it to see if a certain building was still around. The walk-up still existed though it was now owned by a property management company. My crush lived there during our collegiate days so for every happy hour I spent inside, sadness greeted me when I left. I had a "twilight zone" thought as I passed by yesterday.

Ever since my family moved to Ottawa, I have lived in a series of rentals. So the closest to a childhood home was a modest town-house condominium in former Gloucester. I have joked with relatives that I will buy it to retire in my old age. We all agreed that such a decision would be rather odd.

So if I move into that exact apartment on Laurier, we would be in Stephen King territory. On the surface, it was ideal. It was close to several streets with amenities like the Bytowne Cinema. There were now stores on that block. Finally, I do love small buildings in an urban setting. But even for someone with aphantasia, living there would stir up too many memories.