7.
788 Words
I close the house with a twinge in my heart. My hands shake as I turn the key in the lock. I feel like I’m leaving a thousand things behind me. When I see the size of my luggage at the same time, it almost seems obvious. I’m simply taking what seems essential to me: a few changes of clothes, a minimalist toiletry bag, the letter and the file with my accounts, the address and the keys to the apartment, my identity card, the contents of my piggy bank, an old photo of my parents and my favourite stuffed animal. I’m not kidding, okay? It’s a little plush who has always watched over me. My parents gave it to me for my fifth birthday. It’s a small marmot that measures barely ten centimetres. His hair has become rougher over the years, but hey… I just needed to bring a souvenir from my childhood and he’s the one I chose to accompany me on my trip.
I sigh for a long time. Simone sees my confusion and puts her free hand on my shoulder. In the other, she holds the provisions that I give her.
“Come... You’re not going away permanently. You’re just going to London for a few days. You’ll like it, I’m sure.”
“Maybe but ... It’s a big unknown for me.”
“Ah, I can believe that. You’ll see, it’s a jungle compared to here. People are running all the time. They are real electric batteries, always in a hurry, constantly stressed. It must be said, they’re not spoiled by clean air up there. And, since we’re on the subject, take the opportunity to meet people... in London,” she said with a mischievous look. “No one will judge you there.”
I feel myself blushing. I don’t know anything about this sort of thing. The only s****l experience I had was in the sixth grade when this boy named Yohan stuck his tongue in my mouth without permission. But he quickly regretted it. As a reward, he received a magnificent knee in his balls. I think he still remembers it now. For me, the experience was so horrible that I thought for a while about taking holy orders. And then, life chose for me: isolation, loneliness and chastity imposed themselves naturally. I have everything to learn, I tell you. Everything!
“What are you thinking, Madeline?”
“Oh no, nothing special,” I answered.
I’m still not going to tell her about the only erotic time of my entire life.
“We’re always thinking of something, my child. But I don’t blame you for not telling me. We all have our secret garden. You’ll see, London is great. Magnificent. Big Ben, the National Museum, Trafalgar Square…”
“And what about the chickens? Who’ll take care of them?” I say, suddenly concerned about the fate of my hens.
“Don’t worry about them. We’ll come and feed them every day and if your trip takes longer than expected, they’ll move into our chicken coop, if you agree, of course?”
“Don’t hesitate to make use of them! It’s mom who loved them. Me, apart from their broth and the roast chicken in the oven, I don’t really care. Oh yes, and the eggs of course.”
Simone starts laughing.
“You’ll not miss them if I understand correctly. On the menu this afternoon is chicken with fries!”
“Awesome! I love that!” I say, suddenly hungry.
I walk around the house one last time to make sure I haven’t forgotten to close the shutters. I love this house, its blue shutters that we repaint every spring, the stone facade walls and its slate roof. It’s small but sturdy. My parents built it with their own hands.
A cat, sitting on a pile of wood, watches me from afar. I approach to give him a caress but he jumps as soon as my hand comes near.
“Too bad for you! You don’t know what you’re missing! Naughty cat!”
“How about we get going?” suggests Simone. “You’ll wear down the front path going back and forth like that. Gerard must be waiting for us.”
“Yes. The clock is ticking. It’s true. I entrust these to you, I say, handing her a spare set of keys. Take care of them, okay?”
“You can count on me, don’t worry,” she said, grabbing the keys and putting them in her jacket pocket.
We set off. I follow her in silence, turning every ten yards. The cats gathered in front of the door of my house as if to taunt me.
- Writer
