Paris,
France
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Mary had to work in the morning. We agreed to meet for lunch, which was a great plan because Bri and I caught up on some much needed sleep. We finally got up around 11 am, but Bri was not well. His face was pasty and he was moving slowly. It soon became apparent that he indeed, was getting worse as something he had eaten on his flight in, wanted out. Poor guy! He spent most of the morning in the bathroom, while I found a pharmacie and bought a treatment for him. Fortunately, the medicine worked quickly and I encouraged Brian to drink water. Mary arrived and we ate at a café near the St Michel fountain. It was a nice lunch and then we walked a bit, touring the city with the patient and knowledgeable guidance of my friend of 32 years. We parted around 6 pm and Bri was only interested in a small dinner, then bed. We ate at one of the many Italian restaurants. I bought bananas and bifidus yogurt for Brian. It seemed to make him feel better. He wanted to turn in, but I wanted to go to a party that Mary said was happening in her neighborhood. After reassuring me that he would be fine, Brian insisted that I go to the party and leave him to rest and recuperate. So off I went again on the metro, far to Mary's side of town. As I was waiting for my first train, I was sitting in a bank of chairs far to the tail-end of the station. A very young man came up to me and asked in polite French, if he could join me. I nodded and he plopped down, continuing to speak to me in French. I asked him if he spoke English and he brightened immediately, saying he spoke English much better than French and he was right! He introduced himself as "Jens" pronounced Yens, From Brugge! Well! We had a lot to talk about then, as we waited for the train. By time the train arrived, I had invited the 18 year old waif to come to the party with me. He gladly accepted and began his life story on the train. Turns out he only left home four days earlier, for the first time in his life and here he was, a stranger in a strange land. He was just a lost little boy. His story was compelling, but too long to write here. We met Mary at Metro Stop Jourdain after changing trains again. She walled us up to the bar, where there really wasn't a party, just a group of regulars that she drank with and loud pre-recorded music. Jens was happy and bought us drinks. Mary was very pleased to have Jens there and she provided him with encouragement, as I had been doing all along. Jens was simply a scared puppy that wandered too far from home, too alone. We stayed, maybe two hours. Both Mary and Jens got pretty wasted, but as usual---and I don't know why because I am not a "drinker" I held my alcohol well and didn't even feel buzzed. Mary said it was time for her to go, so we all tottered back down the winding cobblestone streets and dropped Mary off at her apartment, No. 79, Rue de Cascades. On the way, Mary and I admired some roses that overgrew a wrought iron fence and Jens heroically climbed up the wall and picked a few for us. His fingers were stabbed and bleeding from the treacherous thorns, but he was very pleased with himself and said we must keep the roses forever, pressing them in a book so that we can remain friends for life! Silly boy.
Good think I was relatively sober as Jens had completely lost track of the way back to the metro and was turning down every wrong alleyway. Granted it was not a long or confusing route, but he was anxious to get back and I had to keep reeling him in from heading off the wrong way. We boarded line 11 to Republique and parted there. Jens hopped on line 5 and I took 9 back toward Pont du Sevre and Trocadero. It was 1:45 am and I walked over to a practically abandoned Trocadero to see the lovely lady, but she was dark! There were no lights, no sparkles, and I found the Eiffel ominous and menacing against a storm-threatening sky. She did not even light on the hour mark, as she is wont to do, so I walked back to the Hotel Best Western Trocadero, and quietly slipped into a warm bed, beside my sleeping husband. I was asleep instantly.
Comments
Hmm..
Weird that it isn't lighted at night! Too bad. You've made friends of all kinds, eh?