five minutes. I feel very uneasy and can't
stop patting my hands against my crossed arms. I'm
convinced people around me have noticed how strangely
I'm behaving, which makes me even more paranoid.
All of a sudden I hear someone calling my name
behind me, someone with a more than familiar voice. I
recognise it instantly and it makes my blood run cold.
'Laura! Laura!'
I admit I'm tempted not to turn round, to run away
like a coward. Instead I turn my head slowly, wanting to
appear natural.
'Mum? What are you doing here?' I'm stuttering,
trying to control the panic inside.
My mother. Here on the main square. While I'm
waiting for a customer who's going to pay me to give
him my body. I've turned to stone, like a child caught
with her fingers in the jam before tea time. I stammer at
her, knowing that if I can't speak intelligibly my mother
will be suspicious, she'll know something's not right.
'You knew all the family were coming down from
Nantes to see us today, didn't you? Do you remember?
We thought it would be nice to spend some time in V
together, to show them the city.'
Yes, utterly charming, right. Behind her I spot my
father and the aforementioned representatives of what
she calls 'the family'. I'd completely forgotten these
factors: the farmers' market, my relations here for the
weekend and my parents being perfectly capable of
coming to the effing market. What a pretty picture: my
mother, my father, my uncle and aunt and a couple of
other strangers I've only seen two or three times in
my life but who I recognise as part of my family tree.
I'm cornered. I need to come up with something right
away. I try not to look around for this unknown Pierre
but I can't help the occasional furtive glance left and
right.
My mother must know I'm not really listening to her
but she can't possibly guess why. Enthused by this
unexpected coincidence, she turns to the family members
behind her to announce the happy news. I'm worried
some big man in a red scarf is going to turn round and
start talking to me if they say my name too loudly.
'Hey, look who's here! It's Laura!'
'Oh, you don't say, it's Laura! What a lovely surprise!
You've changed so much. Quite the young lady. Were
you coming to join us?' my aunt says ecstatically.
I like my aunt a lot, even though I don't see her very
often, but I really couldn't give a stuff about her today.
Through no fault of my own, I've ended up bang in the
middle of a major family reunion in a public square
while I, the prostitute, am waiting for a customer. And,
anyway, what an idea to arrange to meet here in the
middle of the afternoon! I was so stupid, but it's too late
to moan about it now, I need to get out of this situation
as quickly as possible.
Then I suddenly spot a red scarf wafting on the wind
in the crowds. The man wearing it has his back to me
and is walking towards the middle of the square. He
must have been waiting on the sidelines too and, having
not yet seen me, must be having a good look round to
make sure he hasn't been tricked. About fifty, wearing a
suit like he said, and very elegantly turned out. I know
straight away this is my man.
My aunt, still waiting for an answer, snaps me out of
my dazed state. 'Hello-o, Laura! Wake up!'
She and my mother turn round to see what the hell I'm
staring at so intently. Luckily for me, Pierre the businessman
has disappeared into the crowd.
'Um . . . Sorry, I was miles away,' I say with a smile to
stop them looking any further. 'I've been waiting for
some friends for a quite a while and I thought I'd seen
them but it wasn't them.'
I hastily grab my mother and my aunt by the arm and
take them in the opposite direction to where the man is.
As if we were three good friends. My father and the rest
of the family start following us, chatting all the way.
'Of course, the girl's busy. Well, what do you expect
at her age? We won't keep you any longer, lovely Laura.
We'll get back to our shopping. You know this is such a
beautiful
stop patting my hands against my crossed arms. I'm
convinced people around me have noticed how strangely
I'm behaving, which makes me even more paranoid.
All of a sudden I hear someone calling my name
behind me, someone with a more than familiar voice. I
recognise it instantly and it makes my blood run cold.
'Laura! Laura!'
I admit I'm tempted not to turn round, to run away
like a coward. Instead I turn my head slowly, wanting to
appear natural.
'Mum? What are you doing here?' I'm stuttering,
trying to control the panic inside.
My mother. Here on the main square. While I'm
waiting for a customer who's going to pay me to give
him my body. I've turned to stone, like a child caught
with her fingers in the jam before tea time. I stammer at
her, knowing that if I can't speak intelligibly my mother
will be suspicious, she'll know something's not right.
'You knew all the family were coming down from
Nantes to see us today, didn't you? Do you remember?
We thought it would be nice to spend some time in V
together, to show them the city.'
Yes, utterly charming, right. Behind her I spot my
father and the aforementioned representatives of what
she calls 'the family'. I'd completely forgotten these
factors: the farmers' market, my relations here for the
weekend and my parents being perfectly capable of
coming to the effing market. What a pretty picture: my
mother, my father, my uncle and aunt and a couple of
other strangers I've only seen two or three times in
my life but who I recognise as part of my family tree.
I'm cornered. I need to come up with something right
away. I try not to look around for this unknown Pierre
but I can't help the occasional furtive glance left and
right.
My mother must know I'm not really listening to her
but she can't possibly guess why. Enthused by this
unexpected coincidence, she turns to the family members
behind her to announce the happy news. I'm worried
some big man in a red scarf is going to turn round and
start talking to me if they say my name too loudly.
'Hey, look who's here! It's Laura!'
'Oh, you don't say, it's Laura! What a lovely surprise!
You've changed so much. Quite the young lady. Were
you coming to join us?' my aunt says ecstatically.
I like my aunt a lot, even though I don't see her very
often, but I really couldn't give a stuff about her today.
Through no fault of my own, I've ended up bang in the
middle of a major family reunion in a public square
while I, the prostitute, am waiting for a customer. And,
anyway, what an idea to arrange to meet here in the
middle of the afternoon! I was so stupid, but it's too late
to moan about it now, I need to get out of this situation
as quickly as possible.
Then I suddenly spot a red scarf wafting on the wind
in the crowds. The man wearing it has his back to me
and is walking towards the middle of the square. He
must have been waiting on the sidelines too and, having
not yet seen me, must be having a good look round to
make sure he hasn't been tricked. About fifty, wearing a
suit like he said, and very elegantly turned out. I know
straight away this is my man.
My aunt, still waiting for an answer, snaps me out of
my dazed state. 'Hello-o, Laura! Wake up!'
She and my mother turn round to see what the hell I'm
staring at so intently. Luckily for me, Pierre the businessman
has disappeared into the crowd.
'Um . . . Sorry, I was miles away,' I say with a smile to
stop them looking any further. 'I've been waiting for
some friends for a quite a while and I thought I'd seen
them but it wasn't them.'
I hastily grab my mother and my aunt by the arm and
take them in the opposite direction to where the man is.
As if we were three good friends. My father and the rest
of the family start following us, chatting all the way.
'Of course, the girl's busy. Well, what do you expect
at her age? We won't keep you any longer, lovely Laura.
We'll get back to our shopping. You know this is such a
beautiful
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