don’t
mind my leaving you alone this evening. There’s food
in the refrigerator you can fix for yourself. Mark and I
are going to his place for dinner.”
Janine smiled. “Of course I don’t mind. I’ve got lots
of postcards to write anyway. Have a nice time.”
“Thanks, Jenny. I knew you’d understand. I won’t
be back too late,” Rena said, moving to the door,
followed by Mark.
Just as she was about to close the door, Rena
stopped. “I almost forgot, Jenny. Helene called. She
wants to invite you over for coffee tomorrow afternoon. Her number is on the telephone table. Give
her a call tonight, okay?”
Janine nodded and smiled at Rena’s obvious
eagerness to be gone. Well, she couldn’t blame her. “It
must be nice to be in love,” she murmured aloud as the
footsteps receded.
She immediately telephoned Helene, who was
delighted to know Janine could visit the next day. “I’ll
meet you at the train station,” Helene insisted, “at two
o’clock. Allow about a half hour for the ride. You want
the Ligne de Sceaux.”
Janine hug up, feeling rather excited. It would be
good to see her friend again. After having a simple
dinner, she spent the evening writing the postcards.
Knowing it was useless to wait up for her sister, Janine
went to bed early. She was sound asleep by the time
Rena tiptoed in.
Janine woke when Rena’s alarm clock went off early
the next morning. Although her sister was already
packed, Janine knew from experience that the morning
would be hectic. She dressed quickly and slipped out to
get some croissants before Rena was fully awake. “Oh,
no!” she exclaimed when she reached the bakery. “I
forgot they close on Mondays.”
Annoyed, Janine was walking back to the apartment
when she saw a woman carrying a baquette, a long loaf
of French bread. She stopped the woman and asked,
“Oh se trouve un boulangerie que est ouvert aujourd’
hui?”
The woman gave directions and Janine hurried off
to purchase croissants and bread. When she got back to
the apartment, Rena was sleepily fixing coffee. “I
wondered where you were,” was Rena’s only comment.
Over breakfast Rena began to wake up. She had a
pen and piece of paper next to her and between sips of
coffee she wrote down names and telephone numbers
and bits of advice she thought Janine might need. At
the same time she chattered about things she might
have forgotten to pack, places she intended to visit in
Switzerland, and advice about Sandy. Janine listened
calmly.
At ten o’clock Mark arrived. With surprising ease he
managed to calm Rena and have her out of the
apartment in five minutes. Noting the look of
amazement on Janine’s face, he grinned at her over Rena’s head and winked. As the door shut, she sighed
with relief and settled back to enjoy a second cup of
coffee. She decided to eat lunch early and spend some
time in the Jardin du Luxembourg before catching her
train.
As promised, Helene was at the station at Palaiseau
to meet her. “Allo, Helene! Comment ca va?” Janine
cried when she saw her friend.
“Ca va bien. Et toi? We will walk to the house as it is
very close,” Helene explained after they had greeted
one another. “You will have much practice speaking
French when we reach my parents’ house, so now I will
speak English. Rena tells me it is over between you and
Phil. Are you sorry?”
Janine sighed. “It’s over, but I’m not sorry. He was
married and really only wanted a mistress. I thought he
wanted a wife. I was unhappy about it at first, but I am
not unhappy anymore.”
“Ali, yes. There is someone called Sandy now,”
Helene said knowingly.
“Rena told you that?” Janine asked. “Of course she
would. She is always matchmaking. I just met Sandy
Friday, and Rena imagines a big romance. She says he
is looking for a wife and thinks I am a possible
candidate.”
“How do you feel?”
“I like him. Sometimes I’m even very
mind my leaving you alone this evening. There’s food
in the refrigerator you can fix for yourself. Mark and I
are going to his place for dinner.”
Janine smiled. “Of course I don’t mind. I’ve got lots
of postcards to write anyway. Have a nice time.”
“Thanks, Jenny. I knew you’d understand. I won’t
be back too late,” Rena said, moving to the door,
followed by Mark.
Just as she was about to close the door, Rena
stopped. “I almost forgot, Jenny. Helene called. She
wants to invite you over for coffee tomorrow afternoon. Her number is on the telephone table. Give
her a call tonight, okay?”
Janine nodded and smiled at Rena’s obvious
eagerness to be gone. Well, she couldn’t blame her. “It
must be nice to be in love,” she murmured aloud as the
footsteps receded.
She immediately telephoned Helene, who was
delighted to know Janine could visit the next day. “I’ll
meet you at the train station,” Helene insisted, “at two
o’clock. Allow about a half hour for the ride. You want
the Ligne de Sceaux.”
Janine hug up, feeling rather excited. It would be
good to see her friend again. After having a simple
dinner, she spent the evening writing the postcards.
Knowing it was useless to wait up for her sister, Janine
went to bed early. She was sound asleep by the time
Rena tiptoed in.
Janine woke when Rena’s alarm clock went off early
the next morning. Although her sister was already
packed, Janine knew from experience that the morning
would be hectic. She dressed quickly and slipped out to
get some croissants before Rena was fully awake. “Oh,
no!” she exclaimed when she reached the bakery. “I
forgot they close on Mondays.”
Annoyed, Janine was walking back to the apartment
when she saw a woman carrying a baquette, a long loaf
of French bread. She stopped the woman and asked,
“Oh se trouve un boulangerie que est ouvert aujourd’
hui?”
The woman gave directions and Janine hurried off
to purchase croissants and bread. When she got back to
the apartment, Rena was sleepily fixing coffee. “I
wondered where you were,” was Rena’s only comment.
Over breakfast Rena began to wake up. She had a
pen and piece of paper next to her and between sips of
coffee she wrote down names and telephone numbers
and bits of advice she thought Janine might need. At
the same time she chattered about things she might
have forgotten to pack, places she intended to visit in
Switzerland, and advice about Sandy. Janine listened
calmly.
At ten o’clock Mark arrived. With surprising ease he
managed to calm Rena and have her out of the
apartment in five minutes. Noting the look of
amazement on Janine’s face, he grinned at her over Rena’s head and winked. As the door shut, she sighed
with relief and settled back to enjoy a second cup of
coffee. She decided to eat lunch early and spend some
time in the Jardin du Luxembourg before catching her
train.
As promised, Helene was at the station at Palaiseau
to meet her. “Allo, Helene! Comment ca va?” Janine
cried when she saw her friend.
“Ca va bien. Et toi? We will walk to the house as it is
very close,” Helene explained after they had greeted
one another. “You will have much practice speaking
French when we reach my parents’ house, so now I will
speak English. Rena tells me it is over between you and
Phil. Are you sorry?”
Janine sighed. “It’s over, but I’m not sorry. He was
married and really only wanted a mistress. I thought he
wanted a wife. I was unhappy about it at first, but I am
not unhappy anymore.”
“Ali, yes. There is someone called Sandy now,”
Helene said knowingly.
“Rena told you that?” Janine asked. “Of course she
would. She is always matchmaking. I just met Sandy
Friday, and Rena imagines a big romance. She says he
is looking for a wife and thinks I am a possible
candidate.”
“How do you feel?”
“I like him. Sometimes I’m even very
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