Each day the elderly woman steps out into the courtyard of our block. Shes about eighty, always dressed neatly and with care. I moved into the building at the end of autumn. Every morning on my way to work I passed her. Sometimes she sat on a bench beneath a towering lime tree, other times she walked slowly, leaning on her cane.
After a while we began to greet each other. I would stop for a moment to ask after Eleanor Smiths health and wish her a good day. She always smiled warmly and thanked me.
At the end of December a new resident appeared in our yard: a dog. It seemed young, being rather small, but no one knew where it had come from. It was a scruffy, dirty creature with matted fur, no clear breed. The moment Eleanor tossed it a slice of sausage, its fate was sealed: from that day it stayed in the courtyard. It probably would not have survived elsewhere, given how miserable it looked.
Most of the flatshare residents werent thrilled about the newcomer. Many tried to shoo it away, shouting Go on, get out of here! whenever it approached with pleading eyes, silently begging for food.
Still, it sometimes managed to get somethingsomeone would fling a crust of bread, another a small bone. Eleanor also gave it dry biscuits or stale bread and spoke softly while patting its head, calling it Paw.
In spring, when the snow had almost melted, I met Eleanor one morning in the courtyard. She told me she would be leaving that evening with her granddaughter for the countryside and would stay there until autumn.
Possibly even until the end of autumn, she added. There we have a stove, and by its fire it stays warm even on the coldest nights.
She asked me to promise to visit her.
At the end of August I finally made the trip to see Eleanor. After buying her a small present for ten pounds, I took the bus to the village where she was staying.
When I arrived I found her sitting on the veranda, peeling big red apples. Beside her, stretched on the wooden steps, a dog rested peacefully.
Paw, come and greet our guest! the old lady called.
The dog leapt, wagging its fluffy tail, and ran toward me. It was a magnificent animal, its coat glossy and wavy, glinting in the sunlight.
MrsEleanor, is this really the same scruffy Paw from our courtyard? I asked, surprised.
Yes, thats him! Hes turned out to be a real beauty! Eleanor replied with a smile. Come in, lets have a cup of tea. You must tell me all the news from the city!
We sat at the table for a long time, sipping cherryflavoured tea and chatting. After his porridge, Paw curled up by the hot stove, sighing softly in his sleepperhaps dreaming of something.
Outside, a gentle breeze made the appletree branches sway, and large ripe red apples fell slowly onto the grass.
The experience taught me that a little kindness can change a life, even the most unkempt one, and that caring for others brings a warmth that lasts long after winter has gone.
