“You know what annoyed me the most?” she said while waiting. “Not the fact that he wouldn’t give me a seat. I’ve had to stand other times. But the way he spoke to me, as if my old age was a fault.”
“You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”
“Nobody deserves it, my darling.”
We exchanged phone numbers, and before getting on the subway, Grandma Marguerite gave me a big hug. She told me she would tell her daughter the story of the young woman who had defended her.
In the weeks that followed, I was contacted to finalize my statement. I was informed that the incident had been recorded and that appropriate legal action would be taken. I never posted the video online. I kept it as evidence and let the authorities do their job.
One Sunday, Grandma Marguerite invited me over for coffee. Her daughter thanked me for not leaving her alone on the subway. We chatted for almost two hours, and as I was leaving, the old lady slipped a bag of apples from a relative’s garden into my bag.
