This is another one of those coincidences that indicate that we are all connected.
In June 1977 my cousin Frank was to be married to Hazel in London, UK. A few weeks before the wedding Frank phoned me and told me that Hazel’s aunt lived in Toronto and would I phone her and see if there’s anything I can bring with me from her to the wedding. Of course I said “yes” only to eager to chat with a former Londoner.
I called and spoke to the aunt and we played Jewish Geography and discovered we had no friends in common. Unusual but it happens. We had been to the same clubs but she was a bit older than me and so our paths never crossed. Never mind. And that was that. There was nothing for me to take to the UK and we never spoke again.
In 1977 my wife and I had two children, Jennifer and Adam and we lived two doors away from the Holy Blossom Temple. Holy Blossom is the largest Reform Synagogue in North America and it has a Nursery School which Jenny attended every day.
I worked downtown so I would drop Jenny off at the Nursery School and just walk a few yards to the bus stop and take the bus one mile south to St. Clair Ave and a streetcar to the Yonge St subway. Not a big deal unless it was winter. Quite often I would get a lift from one of the parents who had just dropped off their child at the Nursery School. Sometimes even the Rabbi would give me a lift.
The morning after my phone call I was walking out to the bus stop and in no particular rush. I turned to see if a bus was on its way when a man in a large blue Cadillac pulled alongside me with the passenger side window open. I peered in thinking he was lost and wanted directions. The driver, a middle aged businessman, looked at me and asked, “do you want a lift?”. I really didn’t need a lift, I was in no hurry and it was a warm day. But what the hey never look a gift horse in the mouth. So in I got well aware of the dangers of being kidnapped and held as a sex toy.
Off we drove. I thanked him and introduced myself. The driver went white and nearly drove us into a tree. He explained that I had been talking to his wife last night on the phone. His wife was Hazel’s aunt.
We were both speechless as we considered this amazing coincidence. I got out at St. Clair Ave and never saw him or spoke to his wife again. Crazy stuff!
