Jacqueline explained she worked in Paris and part of her job was to finance the same exact equipment I was selling in the Bay Area in California. She went on to tell me she and her husband had lived in Palo Alto in 1977, just an hour away from where I lived in Walnut Creek.
Her husband had been a visiting professor at Stanford when he suddenly passed away from a heart attack when he was 35 years old.
By the time she sold their meager belongings, she had just enough money to get herself and her two small children to New York. She was stranded there for two weeks before one of her uncles sent her the money to help her return home.
We had a lovely time getting to know Jacqueline and hearing about her life in Paris. She was delightful and a true pleasure to have as a guest for our lunch.
For our kindness, as she referred to our invitation, she invited us to join her and her boyfriend for dinner at their hotel that evening. Of course we accepted.
We also agreed to meet again once we arrived in Paris.