This is NOT Amelia, but it looks very much like her. Maybe she’ll allow a photo next time…
Mama went out today and encountered Amelia, the homeless lady who sleeps on the steps of a de-frocked church (as papa calls it) near where we stay. Amelia is amazing.
She greets (mama noticed) all of the good-looking businessmen who are on their way to work, and often corrects mama’s Italian, which mama LOVES because most anthros here are reticent to do so, thinking it impolite.
Mama said something about kids being brought up with manners and how that seems to be slipping through the cracks and Amelia agreed, saying that she knew a man with four sons and three of them were hardworking and successful as kids but the forth one, 16, was a mess. Slept until noon, never lifted a finger around the house, and so on, and one Sunday morning, the father pulled his son out of bed and said, “I want you to earn your own money—RIGHT NOW—so get out on the street and collect cans and bottles to turn in for cash and don’t come home until you’ve earned enough to show me that you’ve been working.
Amelia gives a sly look to mama and says, “And that kid, when he finally grew up, turned out to be the president of his father’s company.”
She is always telling mama stories of her past—when she was married and lived in a big house and how she studied French and wrote a book—and it appears to be full of adventures and the gaining and losing of money.
Amelia is a character. But an educated, well-mannered, smart and often charming lady to boot. Mama says she has learned more from Amelia in Italy than almost anyone else! Unfortunately, she does not like her picture taken…
So I guess I’ll have to stand in for her until mama can convince her to be shown on the Internet. Actually, it may not take too much convincing…
Amelia sounds like a character. It’s a shame she doesn’t have a home of her own.
When she talks to mama about her life, she LIKES it like this. Amazing woman, but she is used to the streets and talks with everyone.