Uncertain

The woman holds her well-covered baby inside a front carrying harness. She looked so young standing there at the bus stop and we exchanged looks and brief smiles before boarding.

I was sitting close enough to offer that I thought it was a practical choice for moving about with what I assessed was a newborn but my French went nowhere and her expression let me know it. I then realized she was Latina and repeated my comment in Spanish.

Here in Canada for only a year seeking immigrant status with her husband,  they are both from Mexico and working at menial jobs. At only 21 years of age she has a child and is uncertain about whether they will be allowed to stay or whether they even want to. She tells me she misses home even as she admits that their lives here would be safer and more stable. She says there is too much cartel activity there plus the police is corrupt.

She was so lovely and polite and as we spoke it struck me once again how the world is so in flux that young people with little life preparation are making life decisions they should not need to. She is younger than both my children and yet saddled with more responsibility.

She is renting a room for now not far from where I live and as she gets up to get off the bus I wish her the best and hope we will meet again.