Life hasn't always been kind to Sabreen Sidhu. The hardy, fiery gal has been through some tough times, that's for damn sure. Born in the City of Pathankot, Punjab State of India, Sabreen moved to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband Gurvinder and they both studied Business Administration at the University of Ottawa. That was in 1996, and the newly married pair were only twenty years old, talented newcomers in a strange, wondrous place called the Capital region of Canada.
Fast forward twenty two years, and Sabreen Sidhu and her former husband Gurvinder are divorced. Their adult sons Sameer and Sandeep, born and raised in Ottawa, left their hometown to visit their family's ancestral homeland of Punjab with their father. Sabreen is one tough-minded lady who has been many things in her life. Ingénue newcomer, hard-working immigrant, successful businesswoman, homeowner, and most important of all, a wife and a mother.
With her ex-husband and sons gone to India, Sabreen finds herself completely alone for the first time in her forty two years. Her jobs as Vice President of the Sikh Chamber of Commerce and adjunct professor of business at her alma mater, the University of Ottawa, definitely keep her busy but not enough. With empty nest syndrome wearing her down, Sabreen Sidhu began wandering around the city, in search of she knew not what. Fortunately, fate provided her with a rather unexpected new beginning...
"Hmmm, that's just what I needed," Sabreen Sidhu said, and the raven-haired, brown-skinned and curvaceous beauty smiled, her lovely face aglow. Sighing happily, Sabreen fixed her lustful gaze on the one who brought her such joy, a handsome, dark-skinned stud who carried himself like a prince. How did I get so lucky so late in the game? Sabreen silently asked herself, amazed to have found such an amazing guy at being divorced and raising two sons practically on her own.
Salomon Voltaire smiled in turn, and gently kissed Sabreen on the lips. The two of them sat at a table inside McDonalds at the entrance of Walmart, and Sabreen licked her ice cream while Salomon sipped on his coffee, carefully watching the lovely South Asian woman sitting opposite him. Sabreen looked lovely in a dark gray vest over a red turtleneck shirt, dark blue jeans and knee-high Black leather boots, one of her few concessions to the harsh Canadian winter.
"You're welcome, my dear," Salomon replied, and he gently laid his hand on hers, causing Sabreen to blush. They were inside the very place where they met, the Walmart located within walking distance of the College Square neighborhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Here, in this busy big-box store, they met, and against all odds, they actually managed to forge a lasting connection.
Today was Salomon's day off, nothing to do at home, and he didn't have anything pressing as far as his courses at Algonquin College, so he decided to hang out with his favorite lady. They came to the store to do some grocery shopping, which was conveniently located near Salomon's school and Sabreen's apartment. Salomon smiled as he squeezed Sabreen's hand gently, not caring who saw the two of them together. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed, the young Haitian man reminded himself.
"What's on your mind, handsome?" Sabreen asked, and she licked her lips, a gesture which caused a small, not unpleasant tremor in Salomon's lower regions. Salomon willed himself to be calm as Sabreen's golden brown eyes bore into his. There was something alluring, and altogether magnetic about Sabreen which always drew Salomon when she looked at him like this. What an amazing woman, Salomon thought, and he pursed his lips and scratched his Afro-covered head before answering her.
"I think it's high time we introduced you to my people's cuisine, mademoiselle Sidhu, what do you think?" Salomon replied, and Sabreen smiled and looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded. A few minutes later, Salomon and Sabreen exited the store, and headed to the parking lot. They got into Sabreen's old Rav4, and sped toward the east end of Ottawa.
"I've heard good things about Haitian Griot, do you think this Soleil Des Iles restaurant will have some?" Sabreen asked, and Salomon grinned, and then nodded firmly. Knowing how busy the quaint little Haitian restaurant located in the heart of the rather storied Vanier neighborhood could get, Salomon decided it was prudent to call and order ahead of their arrival. As Sabreen veered into the highway and headed toward downtown, Salomon dialed the number and ordered them two Griots...
"Bon appetite, mademoiselle, you are definitely going to love this stuff," Salomon said cheerfully as he pulled the chair for Sabreen, who promptly sat down. Moments later, a smiling old Haitian lady came with their plates, two griots, plus lemonades. Sabreen smiled, thanked their server, and nodded gratefully at Salomon before attacking her plate. Damn, Miss India must have been hungry, Salomon thought with a rather rueful smile.
"This is absolutely delicious, Sal," Sabreen said, as she bit into her white rice, brown bean sauce, and fried chicken. Salomon nodded, and silently congratulated himself on his choice of plates. He wasn't sure about Sabreen's background and dietary restrictions, so he went with what he considered to be a safe choice. Salomon met a lot of South Asian folks at Algonquin College, some were Christian, a lot of them were Muslim, and a few followed different faiths which he understood very poorly.
