My House Beautiful
Dream home built through hard work.
The only space left on the street demands a parallel park. Gulp. Sometimes I pull off a parallel-park so adroitly — zip, zip, zip — I spend the day smirking.
Most times, though, after ponging back and forth — and maybe a bit of bumpering — I abandon the car and run away.
Today’s lineup of potential bumper cars include a Maserati, a Range Rover and a Lamborghini.
Gulp. My car is a sun-faded, old-model compact, missing its driver’s side mirror.
And yet — zip, zip, zip — I’m home and dry, between the lottery cars. And smirking.
In truth, the Italian exotics and the Range Rover belong to an old acquaintance, Kamil Issa.
Kamil is a character — a man of many moods, with sharp debating skills and a gift for investing in real estate.
His Glenora house is so new that the address numbers aren’t up yet. Look for the house with the flag, he says.
I’m greeted at the door by children so tiny and cute they should be on posters. Reina is six, Hassan is four and Haya is two.
Kamil and his wife Mirvat are originally from Lebanon. Kamil’s family emigrated 20 years ago, almost to the day. Kamil, age 19, started work right away.
“I killed chickens,” says Kamil, laughing. He worked at the Lilydale plant full time and also helped the family with contract cleaning on weekends.
“I saved money and started buying buildings,” says Kamil so nonchalantly he makes it sound easy.
The family’s new home is 2,700 square feet, with three bedrooms, four bathrooms and dark hardwood floors. The basement is also finished, with plush carpeting, two guest bedrooms, a TV area and plenty of space for three kids and their toys.
The kitchen is stunning, with dark maple cabinetry, glossy granite countertops and a hockey-stick-shaped island with red leather stools. The family spends much of its time here, or in the attached everyday room, furnished with comfy seating and a big-screen television.
At the end of a front hallway, lit by a gorgeous, locally bought chandelier, is a space set behind glass doors. Inside is a formal dining room with an adjacent sitting area, complete with elegant grandfather clock.
Mirvat says the sitting room, like other areas of the house, is still incomplete. The sitting area needs accent tables, she says. Perhaps, but the red leather bench sofas look fabulous atop the near-black hardwood. A second door at the rear of the dining room leads to a back hallway, complete with built-in china cabinet and butler’s station. No, there’s no butler. But even this area — as well as counters in bathrooms and the upstairs washroom — is done in the glossy granite.
Kamil mutters about the counters. Apparently, the granite was quite dear. Mind you, if I were his wife I’d merely point outside. At his Lamborghini.
But if I were him, I’d then point out that I just participated in a charity event where sick children were given an opportunity to ride in exotic cars like my Lamborghini.
(Author’s note: I totally made up that argument. But I feel I represented each side well).
Upstairs are the children’s bedrooms. The girls’ bedroom, in particular, looks like a set from a fairy tale.
The spacious master bedroom is open to an angled hallway that leads to the walk-in closet and large ensuite, complete with jet tub and a shower that rains hot water. Kamil swears by it.
The story about Kamil driving sick kids at a charity event is true, by the way. He belongs to a group of exoticcar owners who get together to swap stories, but also to do good works. As for the flag out front of his house — it’s a Canadian flag. Kamil flies it with pride and gratitude.
Envy is easy. And I feel a bit of it myself when I walk into exotic homes or gaze at exotic cars. But then you meet the people, who in most cases are just folk — folk who worked damn hard, spent years in university or took risks most of us are unwilling to take.
“No fear,” is Kamil’s explanation, when I ask him about his rags-to-riches story. “Take risks,” he adds. “Don’t be afraid.”
Sound advice. Except when parallel parking.