now!â
âBut I need one by this evening! It might be the only supermarket for miles!â
George was getting worked up too; this was the first time in thirty years that he had been told off by his neighbour.
âBut why do you need it right now, canât it wait?â
âNo, it canât wait! Because Iâm telling you now, Iâm fed up of calling your sister every time I need to take a piss!â
âHuh?â
George had slammed the door of the Scenic and was already running towards the shopping centre. Utterly perplexed, Charles stayed in the car, both hands gripping the steering wheel.
Â
The atmosphere was strained when George returned to the car; they were like a young couple after their first spat. George did not deign to offer an explanation of the link between Ginette, his bladder and the torch, but Charles wisely decided it was best to leave it.
At 5 p.m. they were still only in Baud, about halfway. The Scenic was parked three hundred metres from the villageâs only tourist attraction, the Fountain of Clarity, with its old washbowl. But the fountain and washbowl were not destined to go down amongst the glorious memories of the Tour: Charles and George were fast asleep in the car. The meal in Auray and the incident in the supermarket car park had caught up with them.
They got back on the road in the late afternoon and drove all the way to Mûr-de-Bretagne without stopping in Pontivy, although they could make out the two sides to the city as they passed through it: the imperial part, dominated by geometric lines and elegant structures, and the medieval heart of the city,characterised by narrow winding streets lined with timber-framed houses. They passed the dead-straight canal, and then they were out in the countryside again, as the sun was setting.
Just before reaching Mûr-de-Bretagne, they stopped at a service station. George bought a battery for his torch in the shop â it was shameful that the torch hadnât come with any, and what was more, he knew he had some at home. When he came out of the shop, George saw that something wasnât right. Charles was standing exactly where he had left him five minutes earlier, staring at the petrol pump.
âSo did you fill it up, then?â
Charles said he hadnât. He looked at George with a dazed expression and got back into the car. Annoyed, George seized the pump and filled the tank. They drove to the next bed and breakfast in complete silence.
It was a large stone house typical of the area, which would later be described by George in a text to Adèle: there was a skylight in the steep slate roof, three walls without any windows, just small openings, a chimney in every gable, an outdoor staircase with worn steps, and finally, in the courtyard amid the rose bushes, a clay bread oven.
They had a light supper in the spacious living area and then retired to the room they were sharing. They were both aware that close proximity encourages confidences, and that at some point they were going to have to talk about the link between the torch and Ginette.
Just as they were about to turn off their bedside lights, Charles broke the silence that was weighing heavily in the air:
âOK, George, this thing about my sister, well â¦â
âOh yes, your sister. Iâd forgotten about that.â
âI mean ⦠why did you need to buy the torch?â
George summed up the Guémené incident, and then read him Ginetteâs text message.
âAnd thatâs all?â asked Charles.
âYes, thatâs all.â
âOh, thatâs alright then. Because Iâve got to say, I wasnât quite sure what to make of what you said at the supermarket.â
âIt just came out like that, I was in shock, weâd just had an accident, or as good as.â
âYes, thanks for reminding me! And whose fault was that? Anyway, never mind. So how are you going to reply to
âBut I need one by this evening! It might be the only supermarket for miles!â
George was getting worked up too; this was the first time in thirty years that he had been told off by his neighbour.
âBut why do you need it right now, canât it wait?â
âNo, it canât wait! Because Iâm telling you now, Iâm fed up of calling your sister every time I need to take a piss!â
âHuh?â
George had slammed the door of the Scenic and was already running towards the shopping centre. Utterly perplexed, Charles stayed in the car, both hands gripping the steering wheel.
Â
The atmosphere was strained when George returned to the car; they were like a young couple after their first spat. George did not deign to offer an explanation of the link between Ginette, his bladder and the torch, but Charles wisely decided it was best to leave it.
At 5 p.m. they were still only in Baud, about halfway. The Scenic was parked three hundred metres from the villageâs only tourist attraction, the Fountain of Clarity, with its old washbowl. But the fountain and washbowl were not destined to go down amongst the glorious memories of the Tour: Charles and George were fast asleep in the car. The meal in Auray and the incident in the supermarket car park had caught up with them.
They got back on the road in the late afternoon and drove all the way to Mûr-de-Bretagne without stopping in Pontivy, although they could make out the two sides to the city as they passed through it: the imperial part, dominated by geometric lines and elegant structures, and the medieval heart of the city,characterised by narrow winding streets lined with timber-framed houses. They passed the dead-straight canal, and then they were out in the countryside again, as the sun was setting.
Just before reaching Mûr-de-Bretagne, they stopped at a service station. George bought a battery for his torch in the shop â it was shameful that the torch hadnât come with any, and what was more, he knew he had some at home. When he came out of the shop, George saw that something wasnât right. Charles was standing exactly where he had left him five minutes earlier, staring at the petrol pump.
âSo did you fill it up, then?â
Charles said he hadnât. He looked at George with a dazed expression and got back into the car. Annoyed, George seized the pump and filled the tank. They drove to the next bed and breakfast in complete silence.
It was a large stone house typical of the area, which would later be described by George in a text to Adèle: there was a skylight in the steep slate roof, three walls without any windows, just small openings, a chimney in every gable, an outdoor staircase with worn steps, and finally, in the courtyard amid the rose bushes, a clay bread oven.
They had a light supper in the spacious living area and then retired to the room they were sharing. They were both aware that close proximity encourages confidences, and that at some point they were going to have to talk about the link between the torch and Ginette.
Just as they were about to turn off their bedside lights, Charles broke the silence that was weighing heavily in the air:
âOK, George, this thing about my sister, well â¦â
âOh yes, your sister. Iâd forgotten about that.â
âI mean ⦠why did you need to buy the torch?â
George summed up the Guémené incident, and then read him Ginetteâs text message.
âAnd thatâs all?â asked Charles.
âYes, thatâs all.â
âOh, thatâs alright then. Because Iâve got to say, I wasnât quite sure what to make of what you said at the supermarket.â
âIt just came out like that, I was in shock, weâd just had an accident, or as good as.â
âYes, thanks for reminding me! And whose fault was that? Anyway, never mind. So how are you going to reply to
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