Kim visits Montreal

[noteful]

It's not that difficult to find Sylvain Gagné's restaurant. It is, as Meg said, written up in several guidebooks.

And late morning isn't a bad time to arrive, at least on weekdays -- the breakfast crowd has gone, the lunch crowd isn't really there yet. There's no line out the door, no wait to be seated, just a hadful of patrons lingering over coffee at the tables on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

It's a beautiful summer day in Montreal.

Comments

[noteful]

"Especially if there's coffee waiting at the end?" Meg asks, cheerfully.

"So, what do you think of Montreal?"

[bannion_sight]

"Definitely if there's coffee waiting at the end."

She considers for a second, but really, it doesn't take long.

"I like it. I think if I was going to spend any great amount of time here, though, I'd have to get a lot better at French."

[noteful]

"I think that kind of just happens, from walking around the city, and hearing it, and seeing it, and using it," Meg says. "My French is much better than it was a year ago."

Not that it was bad a year ago, it was just very learned in a classroom.

[bannion_sight]

"What do the linguistics types call it -- the immersion method?"

Kim shakes her head.

"There's something to be said for it, anyway."

[noteful]

"It sort of seems like you ought to be the one dealing with a foreign language, doesn't it?

"A little?"

[bannion_sight]

"Maybe," she says, after a moment's pause. "Of course there's Welsh, and Scottish, and Irish - but I don't hear those on a daily basis, usually."

[noteful]

"I think this is it," Meg says, of the small cafe on the corner ahead.

And then continues, "Are you learning any of those?"

[bannion_sight]

"A few words here and there," Kim tells her. "There's not much need in Glastonbury, but..."

She shrugs.

"If I were going to pick one to start with, it'd probably be Welsh."

[noteful]

"That makes sense," Meg says, pushing open the cafe door.

Given family history and all.

A moment later they're settled at a sunny table, looking at menus.

[bannion_sight]

"Coffee," she says, with a blissful look on her face.

"Maybe a muffin too. According to this, they're homemade."

[noteful]

"Sounds good to me.

"The muffin part, anyway."

She still doesn't drink coffee.

"And tea."

[bannion_sight]

"Which kind are you getting?"

[noteful]

"So you can order a different kind and eat half of mine?"

Years of experience speaking here.

[bannion_sight]

Mock surprise.

"Would I do that?"

A beat, and she grins.

"Besides, I'd give you half of mine in trade."

[noteful]

"You've been known to, once or twice," Meg says.

"Blueberry, I guess, then," she says.

[bannion_sight]

"And lemon poppyseed, I think."

She shakes her head, smiling, and leans back in her chair as she stretches.

"I'm out of the habit of long train rides."

[noteful]

Meg gives their orders to the waitress.

". . . can you take a six hour train trip from Glastonbury and not wind up in some body of water or other?"

[bannion_sight]

"If I went up to Edinburgh, maybe," Kim says. "But as I haven't tried it yet, I'm not sure."

[noteful]

Meg nods, and then there's a pause, while coffee and tea and muffins arrive.

"So . . . do you like living over there?"

[bannion_sight]

"I do," she replies, almost gently. "I really do."

Kim reaches for her cup of coffee, wrapping her fingers around it.

"There are days when I really miss being here, but -- Glastonbury's where I need to be."

[noteful]

Meg stirs sugar into her tea before she replies.

"Well, I guess it's good that you could go there, then."

[bannion_sight]

She hesitates, but only for a second.

"It's where I feel ... closest ... to things, Meg. It... helps."

[noteful]

"I know that, Kim. And I really am glad that there's a place you're . . . comfortable or whatever the right word is.

"But it doesn't mean that I'm going to be thrilled that that place is in England.

"I mean, you don't want me to be happy that you live that far away, do you?"

[bannion_sight]

"No," Kim says.

"But I do want you to be happy."

A beat.

"Are you?"

[noteful]

Meg thinks for a moment, and then nods.

"On the whole, yes. I am."