I called him. He didn’t recognise me at first. He is a stiff man, rigid, taut. Or at least that is how he has always seemed to me. I have to push through my instinct to avoid. And yet, I want to know him. And my feelings towards him are warming. I am beginning to see beyond the outer coolness. His son has it too, and I suspect, his daughter. They show little. But he warmed to me too, even making a joke about Northerners. I want to learn not to judge or, as I say, avoid people who are not like me or don’t reveal how they feel. I am safe with them. And they are safe with them. I feel immensely protective towards both him and his wife. They are going through a fearful time. And there are no clear signposts as to how to deal with it. Can I help? Probably not, but I can listen and pay attention. And draw.
