~ from OCTOBER 2004 ~
Nathan passed away over the weekend. He was a co-worker in my former office. A quiet, soft-spoken man, he chose his words carefully, too carefully if you wanted a quick simple answer. He was deliberate with his speech, reserved and thoughtful with his reply, but if you showed an interest he had no trouble pontificating for as long as you could stand it.
Nathan looked like Frederick Douglass. A thick mane of hair in various hues of gray and white topped his head, and his beard we much the same, going in the opposite direction. He lived alone in a dilapidated building in Schenectady. It was a place he was trying to renovate, and we heard daily stories of crumbling walls, exposed plumbing, and leaky ceilings.
A scrappy squirrel once found its way into the house and Nathan managed to trap it. He brought it into work, cage and all, before releasing it into the wild. He had no heat for over a year, and, finally, in the middle of a bitterly cold winter he relented and moved out for a time to stay with a friend.
He spoke often of Southern soul food, and he especially loved all of the vegetables – okra collard greens, yams, and the like. I brought in greens one day for him and he was impressed. We walked of the various preparation methods for greens and yams.
This is what people do, I think. They talk about their lives, their homes, their family, their food. It feels so alien sometimes for me. I had heard that Nathan had a daughter from whom he was estranged. I never asked why.
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