Even when squalls are forecast, the sudden swoop of wind and deluge catches even the watchful by surprise, wrenching change in the blink of an eye. Thus it was with the James’ family. Mr. James, who had only recently bought his condo, died, his back trouble symptomatic of much larger health problems, undiagnosed until too late for intervention. This was an entirely unexpected crisis, coming at just the wrong time, as often happens. 
Dan Cohn, the Prospect’s developer, was meeting with the James family some weeks later. “R.M. told me about your grief. First, let me say how sorry I am; my condolences to you all.” They murmured their reply, and looked discomforted, worrying what was in store with the developer.
“We don’t like to write anything this grim into our contracts, about the death of a partner, so it’s not in yours. Normally, when a party wants out it would be up to them to buy and then re-sell on their own, especially after a unit is finished out to their specifications, as yours is. Mrs. James, under the circumstances, if you want to re-consider, we could void the contract.”
“Thank you, it is all a bit complicated just now. So many things to think about at once. So much to sign…” she trailed off, then took a deep breath. “I’ve talked it over with the boys.” The ‘boys’ were her adult sons. “Of course, they are concerned about where I should go, now that…” she stumbled, then began again. “Let’s face it. The house is sold and we…I will be moving out soon anyway. My husband was really looking forward to our life here. He thought it would be good for us, having new neighbors in a lovely, private place. I think so too. Best to get on with it.” And shortly after that decision, Mrs. Ivy James, and the cat Mullins, had moved into her unit.
“Silly really, to sit upstairs all alone, with so many people about.” Mrs. James observed to Gervase. It was early days, before she became association secretary, and for company she had taken to sitting for a time each day down in the lobby. “It’s easier to see the world go by from here than from upstairs, isn’t it, and to chat with everyone as they come and go? You do that too, don’t you Gervase?”
“Indeed I do, Mrs. James. Of course, that’s my job. If I ever need a substitute, I’ll sure know who to call first! How are you with letting yourself into other people’s homes and watering plants?”
“Oh, nothing so easy! I have a lot of experience doing just that. Though I’ll never know as many people here as you do, or as many dogs either.”
“You have a cat, is that right?”
“Mullins, Mull for short. He’s normally good company but he’s still finding out all the ideal spots around his sunny new home and far too busy for me just now, what with organizing his naps. He does very well without me, until sunset.”
“Well if you ever lack for company, there’s a TV with a cable hookup over there on moveable cart, for residents use. It’s got a pretty long cord too, so you could bring it over here easy. It gets moved around a lot, for meetings, and such.”
“Not much of a TV watcher, Gervase, but good to know. Thanks.”
“So, what’s that you’re making, Mrs. James?” She came everyday with a bag full of yarns, needles, and hooks, and set to work, only stopping to greet passing neighbors. She was meeting a lot of them.
“Mostly I’m making hats for my son. He’s in the ski and snowboard business in Aspen, and he also sells my handmade knit and crochet headwear at shows and on his company website.”
“That’s a co-incidence. I have friends who live there, too. I’ve often thought of moving there myself. What’s the name of his company?
“‘The Society. Do you know it?”
“I have, yes. Small world, eh? I’m a skier myself. Matter of fact, I know how to knit as well. My mother used to give us kids the even rows to do.”
“It’s the same in crochet, in even rows you work the same number of stitches per row, in the same pattern. The work goes pretty fast and most of the time you don’t even have to look at it.”
“We did our fastest work, clickety-click, listening to hockey games -Saturday night is ‘Hockey Night in Canada’. Our family name is the same as Rocket Richard’s, a famous Montreal Canadiens player. “”He shoots!—he scores’,” his voice crescendoed as he mimicked the radio announcer. “We were such fans in those days, still are. My surname’s pronounced ‘Reeshar’ by the way. Most people here just call me ‘Richard’, the English way. I’m getting used to it now.”
“My mother was English Canadian.”
“Excellent. We’ll understand each other very well, then.”
“The older I get, the more I hear myself using her turns of phrase, though I’ve lost most of her pronunciation. When we were selling our house last year, there was a realtor who had the phonetic pronunciation of his name on everything; 0n yard signs, advertisements, everything. Who cares? Of course, I have an easy name, it’s true. But I always was thinking that the man would never be paying much attention to anybody, other than to correct how his name was said. It’s a comfort to know when somebody really pays attention, like you do.”
“I’ve seen a lot of realtors come and go in our building Mrs. James, and what you say is true. To some of them, I’m just here’ to clean the pool’, not worth talking to. Others are respectful. Guess who I go out of my way to help? Speaking of pools, you’re quite the swimmer, Mrs. James. Still going every day?” He’d seen her heading toward the pool early, many mornings.
“Trying to do some laps every day, yes. I really do like it. It’s much safer than walking alone at my age, though on fine days I like that well enough. There really is so much to do in this building, I wonder that more of the residents don’t make better use of the facilities, seeing as they are paying for them in condo fees every month.”
“With respect Mrs. James, at the rate you are meeting everyone, I’m sure you’ll have asked all of them that very thing before too long and be giving reports of your findings at the association meetings!”