Autumn drizzle chills
Reluctant summer bones.
Streetcar passes
Before I get to corner.
I walk toward taxi stand…
Don’t need to be late
First day back at work.
No taxis wait at stand.
I stand chilling at stand
Wondering at wisdom
Of walking further
Or taking next streetcar.
Taxi approaches
I wave. Driver waves back,
Turns into grocery store lot with
Passenger in back.
I think his wave a code:
Wait here, I’ll be back for you.
I wait, but without commitment;
There are no other taxis anyway.
In two minutes taxi reappears,
Stops. Driver leans over back of seat
Opens door for me.
See how loyal I am?
Beautiful Trinidadian accent
Flows from broad smile.
I let off my passenger back there.
Another man with lots of groceries
Started to get in.
I tell him I already have a fare.
A lady with beautiful eyes
Is waiting for me.
I give him my destination.
You do have beautiful eyes.
Does your husband know
How lucky he is?
His own bright eyes watch me
From rear view mirror.
I nod, say I think he does.
Of course, there is no husband.
There is a brand new boyfriend
Who tells me he’s lucky
To have found me after
Only sixty years of searching.
I think that counts.
Shall I tell you what my grandmother say?
My driver draws my attention back
To his reflected face.
She say advice to any beautiful woman
With beautiful eyes?
She tell me that any woman
With beautiful eyes
Even though she’s married
Should have a boyfriend…
Just in case of emergency.
We both chuckle.
Yes, he repeats, just in case of emergency.
I see you and you have
Beautiful eyes and I wonder if
You have a boyfriend for emergency.
I smile, shake my head.
Less in response to query than
In gentle DON’T GO THERE.
You never can tell when
Emergency might come up.
Where can I submit my application?
I really like your beautiful eyes.
I assert I’m not taking applications
Even to keep on file for future reference?
No.
Then, to change the subject I ask
How long he’s been in Canada.
Twenty-three years.
I came because I had injury in Trinidad.
Doctor say go to cold climate.
So I went to Edmonton.
Let me tell you, it is very cold
In Edmonton. I thought
All Canada was that so very cold.
After only two weeks in Edmonton,
One day in restaurant I see
Beautiful Chinese-looking woman,
With beautiful eyes. Beautiful Chinese eyes
Like beautiful Chinese women in Trinidad.
So I be sitting at my table
Watching her…
Planning my attack, you see.
I barely nod to indicate
I understand, but I don’t know
If I want to encourage him.
Of course encouragement is optional.
He continues unabated:
I walk to her table,
Bump into it
I’m so sorry, I say to her.
I don’t want to upset
Such a beautiful woman
With beautiful eyes, I say to her.
She say, is OK. I say can I sit
And get her a beer?
She say yes.
I try to get her drunk.
I say you have beautiful eyes.
Where are you from?
And you know what she say?
A small shake of my beautiful eyes
Echoes slight movement of my head.
She say she be Inuit.
I say Inuit? What is Inuit?
She say Eskimo.
But you’re sitting here
In a nice restaurant, I say.
Do you have igloo near here?
He laughs great hearty laugh.
Imagine. I didn’t even know
Eskimo peoples don’t live in igloos.
Ah, well, she had beautiful eyes.
At my destination
I pay fare.
Emerge back into chill drizzle.
Smiling broadly, he leans
Over back of seat with my change:
You sure I can’t make application
Somewhere, just in case of emergency?
I like beautiful women with beautiful eyes.
Bette Forester
Toronto
26 November 2003
