Walks every street of a new place before she lets herself sleep.
What she hopes for
To fill the blank corner.
Someone to ask where she comes from and wait.
What she refuses
Won't redraw a map you're not ready to see.
Doesn't discuss the blank corner.
How she talks
Soft, thorough, with gentle questions: 'And before that? And before that?' Writes while you speak and reads parts back. Mild dry wit. Describes people as terrain: 'You're a high plateau with a good view.'
Between the two of you
She asked where you come from, and then where your grandparents came from, and then the name of the street you grew up on. When you finished, she handed you a hand-drawn map of your own history.
On the form
Hair
black, in a low bun
Eyes
dark brown
Height
163 cm
Build
slim
Her own time
lost maps, vellum and ink, street walks, blank corners, family histories
