The lady at the lab

"Is that a cat tattoo on your hand?"

I said I had two tattoos in the memory of a dog and cat I loved and will soon be getting another one in memory of my other dog who passed away 2 years ago.

" I have an old black lab too, I know she is not going to live long, she has greys on her face and body now and I know she will soon be gone. but my selfish self wants her to live long" she said while getting ready to draw blood from my hand.

" I hope your lab lives longer" I said.

" I hope so too. I am not ready to let her go yet" she said. There was no pain as my blood trickled into the small beaker, but the pain of loss of my beloved pet and nostalgia swept through and I left the chair with my eyes slightly moist.

The stranger at the bus stop

"Hello I am H and I am from Iran" he said as he struck a conversation at the bus stop with me and my boy while we waited for our bus. I told him I had a few friends from Iran when I was in college and that they went back to Iran.

"My parents moved to Canada when I was 10 and since then I have not gone back to Iran". I remarked that it must have been tough. He didn't respond to that but stared at a distance. I chose not to say anything further. " I do like Alberta and love this place". He said after a while. " I studied here".

"I am going to the hospital now for a checkup. I just had a major surgery in March. I had cancer in my stomach, I beat cancer you know! Its gone. I say hello to everyone I meet and try to strike up a conversation. I hope you don't mind". I told him I didn't and he got into the bus asking me where I am from and what I had studied. His stop came by quickly. He wished me a good and happy life and told my boy to be a good boy to mommy as he waved goodbye.