i carried my two empty laundry baskets - previously full of towels, sheets, t-shirts, all our dirty clothing from the trip in croatia, everything now clean in the dryers downstairs - to the mirrored hallway in front of the elevators. as i arrived one of my neighbours who owns a beautiful black and brown skittish dog, is asian and was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and backpack, was leaving his own place. i pressed the button after we smiled at each other and we waited for one of the three elevators to open.

the middle one did and he went in first. i followed, maneuvering the baskets (one inside the other) so i didn't bonk him as there was another person, an elderly man with a beard, wearing a beige coat and grey pants, already inside the elevator. i got in and as the elevator doors closed the asian guy reached forward and pressed the "B" button for me. the elderly man laughed, looking at me and the baskets, saying "guess we know where you're going, huh?"

i smiled back and agreed. he continued, "don't have much there, do you?" nodding towards the empty baskets. i explained i was going to pick up all the clean laundry downstairs.

"do you go to school or do you work?" i figured he was asking this because i was doing laundry at 10 AM in the morning on a wednesday. thoughts flashed through my brain - how i couldn't explain the program i had just graduated from, too complicated even if it was interesting to know about - and i said, simply, that i worked, and had just finished a contract with a theatre company.

"with a what?"

a theatre company, i repeated.

"what did you do there?" again, a complicated question. i explained, as we got to the 2nd floor, where he was presumably getting off, that i worked in development, which was fundraising.

"oh," he said, smiling and leaving the elevator. "well, it sounds like you've got brains." i smiled back and said, "take care". he replied, as the doors closed, "i'll try."

the asian guy and i grinned at each other and he said, "so friendly." i said, "i know, it's refreshing," and caught his surprised look. the doors opened at the 1st floor and we wished each other a good day.

later, in the laundry room folding warm, clean towels, i thought over the conversation, how the asian guy was surprised by my choice of the word "refreshing", when what i really meant was the kindness and the ease with which the man struck up conversation, was refreshing.

i thought of the man's words, "well, it sounds like you've got brains." i smiled to myself, and thought "maybe i do," circumspectly, in the sense that perhaps i might be able to accomplish things that make toni and i happy.

and i thought of his last words, "i'll try." i hope he does.

Labels: ponderous