mr kim, my longest-lasting roommate by far, checked out a few hours ago. actually, there had been some conflict early on, as his relatives and friends developed a mania for preaching aggressively to the room and its inhabitants. but even at the least pleasant i never had problems with mr kim himself . . when he interacted with me at all it was always a weak wave or salute or short pleasantry.
the interesting thing that happened was that as his post op condition improved, the preachy relatives got more pleasant and even friendly. we gifted them some fruit one time and i tried hard to be a respectful neighbor. stress and fear can drive good people to moments of regrettable action. at his exit hour the 76 year old mr kim was spry and dapper, changed into a dress shirt and slacks.
the picture is from earlier, when we got the mrs to offer a smile.
