Sylvie's boyfriend

Monday: Canada goose on the Eramosa River


During choir practice Sylvie started gesturing from the alto section. She needed to talk to me. When I went down at break time, she slid her arm into mine and drew me away from the crowd.

"I have a boyfriend," she said solemnly. "His name is Van."

She explained that the bakery where she works started training a new employee. Let's just say he comes from a place where women are treated differently. Immediately he started asking Sylvie to go out with him, asking for her phone number. To make matters worse, he hardly speaks English. He is fluent in French, so translation falls to Sylvie.

"He keeps winking at me," she said.

In desperation, she told him she has a boyfriend. All the rest of her coworkers know about Sarah, but her boss said he would support her however she wanted. Her boyfriend's name is Van and he's a writer.

"Yeah, I'm a sports columnist," I elaborated, my voice booming with testosterone. "I write about hunting."

Then we laughed for a while.

"We need to get together," Sylvie said. "I miss you. Maybe you can drop by the store sometime."

I think Sarah should drop by brandishing power tools.