I am back in my beloved Middle Ages
, thought Joséphine.
I have and always will be a humble serf to my sister and to other people. Today, it’s Hortense; tomorrow it’ll be someone else.
Having made her point, Iris rolled onto her back again, and their conversation continued as if nothing had happened.
“What are you doing for Christmas?”
Joséphine gulped, swallowing her tears. “I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it. Shirley asked if I wanted to go to Scotland with her.”
“To stay with her parents?”
“No. She doesn’t want to go back there, for some reason. Wewould stay with friends of hers. But Hortense thinks Scotland is a total drag.”
“We could spend Christmas together at the chalet.”
“I’ll have to think about it. It’ll be the first Christmas without their father.” Joséphine sighed. Then she had a terrible thought. “What about Mother Courage? Will she be there?”
“No, or I wouldn’t have suggested it. I figure we’d better not let you two near one another without calling the bomb squad.”
“Very funny. Did you mention it to Hortense?”
“Not yet. I only asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Same for Zoé.”
“And she told you what she wanted?”
“A computer. But she said that you’d already offered to buy her one, and didn’t want to hurt your feelings. See how thoughtful she can be?”
“That’s one way of putting it. She practically bullied me into promising. And if I give her such an expensive gift, what can I give Zoé? I hate being unfair.”
“That’s where I can help, Jo. You know it’s not that big a deal for me. If you like, I won’t even tell the girls. I’ll just give them a little present on the side and let you have all the glory.”
“That’s generous of you, but it wouldn’t feel right.”
“Come on, Jo. Lighten up.”
“No, I mean it.”
“Fine, I won’t insist,” Iris said with a smile. “But remember, Christmas is in three weeks and you don’t have much time left to earn your millions. Unless you win the lottery.”
Don’t I know it!
thought Joséphine to herself.
Don’t I damned well know it! I was supposed to hand in the translation a week ago. I don’t have time to do the research for my postdoc scholarship, and I’m lying to my sister about working for her husband. My life was once as neat as a musical score, and now it’s just a big, noisy mess.
While Joséphine continued her inner monologue, Alexandre was waiting patiently for Zoé to quit splashing about so he could ask her the questions buzzing in his head. Zoé was the only one who would know the answers. He couldn’t confide in Carmen, or in his mother, or in Hortense, who always treated him like a baby. So when Zoé finally came to rest her elbows on the edge of the pool, Alex swam over and said:
“Zoé, listen to me. This is important.”
“What’s up?”
“Do you think that when grown-ups stop making love, it means they don’t love each other anymore?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because Mom and Dad don’t sleep together anymore. It’s been two weeks. Dad sleeps in his study. In a little cot.”
“Oh boy! Your parents are getting a divorce, for sure! And just wait, they’ll start sending you to a shrinker. A kid in my school says that’s a person who opens up your head to see what’s going on inside.”
“I already know what’s going on in my head. I’m scared all the time. Before Dad started sleeping in his study I used to get up at night and listen at their bedroom door. And it was so quiet in there, it scared me! Before, they used to make love sometimes. It was noisy, but it made me feel better.”
“So they don’t make love at all anymore?”
Alexandre shook his head.
“And they aren’t sleeping together?”
“Nope. Not for the last two weeks.”
“Then you’re going to end up just like me: divorced!”
Hortense, who had been practicing swimming underwater the length of the pool, popped up
, thought Joséphine.
I have and always will be a humble serf to my sister and to other people. Today, it’s Hortense; tomorrow it’ll be someone else.
Having made her point, Iris rolled onto her back again, and their conversation continued as if nothing had happened.
“What are you doing for Christmas?”
Joséphine gulped, swallowing her tears. “I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it. Shirley asked if I wanted to go to Scotland with her.”
“To stay with her parents?”
“No. She doesn’t want to go back there, for some reason. Wewould stay with friends of hers. But Hortense thinks Scotland is a total drag.”
“We could spend Christmas together at the chalet.”
“I’ll have to think about it. It’ll be the first Christmas without their father.” Joséphine sighed. Then she had a terrible thought. “What about Mother Courage? Will she be there?”
“No, or I wouldn’t have suggested it. I figure we’d better not let you two near one another without calling the bomb squad.”
“Very funny. Did you mention it to Hortense?”
“Not yet. I only asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Same for Zoé.”
“And she told you what she wanted?”
“A computer. But she said that you’d already offered to buy her one, and didn’t want to hurt your feelings. See how thoughtful she can be?”
“That’s one way of putting it. She practically bullied me into promising. And if I give her such an expensive gift, what can I give Zoé? I hate being unfair.”
“That’s where I can help, Jo. You know it’s not that big a deal for me. If you like, I won’t even tell the girls. I’ll just give them a little present on the side and let you have all the glory.”
“That’s generous of you, but it wouldn’t feel right.”
“Come on, Jo. Lighten up.”
“No, I mean it.”
“Fine, I won’t insist,” Iris said with a smile. “But remember, Christmas is in three weeks and you don’t have much time left to earn your millions. Unless you win the lottery.”
Don’t I know it!
thought Joséphine to herself.
Don’t I damned well know it! I was supposed to hand in the translation a week ago. I don’t have time to do the research for my postdoc scholarship, and I’m lying to my sister about working for her husband. My life was once as neat as a musical score, and now it’s just a big, noisy mess.
While Joséphine continued her inner monologue, Alexandre was waiting patiently for Zoé to quit splashing about so he could ask her the questions buzzing in his head. Zoé was the only one who would know the answers. He couldn’t confide in Carmen, or in his mother, or in Hortense, who always treated him like a baby. So when Zoé finally came to rest her elbows on the edge of the pool, Alex swam over and said:
“Zoé, listen to me. This is important.”
“What’s up?”
“Do you think that when grown-ups stop making love, it means they don’t love each other anymore?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because Mom and Dad don’t sleep together anymore. It’s been two weeks. Dad sleeps in his study. In a little cot.”
“Oh boy! Your parents are getting a divorce, for sure! And just wait, they’ll start sending you to a shrinker. A kid in my school says that’s a person who opens up your head to see what’s going on inside.”
“I already know what’s going on in my head. I’m scared all the time. Before Dad started sleeping in his study I used to get up at night and listen at their bedroom door. And it was so quiet in there, it scared me! Before, they used to make love sometimes. It was noisy, but it made me feel better.”
“So they don’t make love at all anymore?”
Alexandre shook his head.
“And they aren’t sleeping together?”
“Nope. Not for the last two weeks.”
“Then you’re going to end up just like me: divorced!”
Hortense, who had been practicing swimming underwater the length of the pool, popped up
Similar Books
