캐나다 여성 작가 앨리스 먼로의 매혹적인 이야기꾼으로서의 면모가 아주 잘 드러나는 작품입니다. 단편집 Too Much Happiness에 수록된 이 작품에서 갑작스럽게 혼자가 된 니타는 뜻밖의 상황에 놀라운 기지를 발휘합니다. 짧지만 손에 땀을 쥐게 하는 이 이야기를 읽으면 다시 한 번 먼로의 수상 이력에 수긍하게 되기도 하고 홀로 사는 일의 두려움이나 노년의 지혜와 여유에 대해 생각해 보게 되기도 합니다.
One morning after sitting for a while she decided that it was a very hot day. She should get up and turn on the fans. Or she could, with more environmental responsibility, try opening the front and back doors and let the breeze, if there was any, blow through the screen and through the house.
She unlocked the front door first. And even before she had allowed half an inch of morning light to show itself, she was aware of a dark stripe cutting that light off.
There was a young man standing outside the screen door, which was hooked.
Athena's Owl 