Last post, I shared my long-held but incomplete version of my grandfather’s mysterious life.  While details like his dress, drink and leisure activities can be verified by my father and aunt, some of the more interesting assertions were simply a part of family legend, which can often rely on a nominal level of fantasy.  

Was my grandfather originally from the streets or Ireland?  Had he actually attended Oxford in the early 1900s?  And perhaps most interesting, did he have a family in the United States before arriving in Vancouver at the age of fifty-seven?

I should share that it wasn’t just my grandfather’s mysterious life that I was interested in learning more about.  In truth, I found my own father’s background just as rich and enticing, likely in part due to the fact that his background was in sharp contrast to my sheltered upbringing. 

To begin, where I grew up in the quiet suburb or Port Coquitlam, my father grew up in various neighborhoods on the raw – sometimes dangerous – streets of mid-century Vancouver.  Where I was raised in a stable home with two dedicated parents, my father was raised largely by a single parent or sometimes none at all.  Lastly, where I pretty much kept the “straight and narrow,” my dad’s mischievous side resulted in more than a few instances of conflict with both various street thugs as well as officers of law enforcement.  

I had high hopes my thirst for specifics would be satisfactorily quenched during a day outing chauffeured by my father.  I asked him to show me around the haunts and locals he frequented as a youngster.  My hope was that the various settings would open a floodgate of memories and stories, allowing me to better understand his upbringing. 

Our initial stop was my father’s very first home at 4141 Yale Street.  There, my father shared a few anecdotes, until he suddenly became quiet, his eyes focused on a house some fifty yards to the east.

“I wonder if Mrs. Blake still lives there?” he pondered.

What followed was a tale that fulfilled my curiosity about my father’s life, but also ignited me to delve further into the mystery that was my grandfather’s life.

Check back for the rest of story…