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- 03/17/2022
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 21. Chapter 21
Arriving at the center of Paris, we said goodbye to the Director, thanking him for the ride. Walking back to Madam Lavigne’s house, “What are we going to do tomorrow?”
“We are going back to the Eiffel Tower for lunch and taking a dinner boat ride on the Seine. No more art museums and tomorrow will be our last day in Paris.”
That evening I told Madam Lavigne that tomorrow would be our last day in Paris. I told her we would be taking the dinner cruise on the Seine, and we would like her to accompany us. She accepted our invitation with a large smile.
Over dinner, I told her about our visit to Monsieur Arnaud’s home and viewing his gallery. I mentioned he had a painting by my great grandmother and one by a new artist, Arrow.
That evening, “Armand, are you going to tell her you are Arrow?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll show her that picture that I signed. It’s hard to believe that painting is the one I did on my first visit to Paris.”
We took advantage of sleeping in. There are no museums to visit, just a casual stroll to the Eiffel Tower, maybe a light lunch in a park, and the boat trip down the Seine. Then early to bed, we have a morning flight to Madrid.
We got up a little later than we had all week. Lying in a comfortable bed, reviewing what we had done. “Did you take photos?”
“Yes, digital, so we will need to have them printed when we get home. I want to make a photo album of our trip.”
I thought that was a good idea. So I kissed him, and that led to a lot more.
We were too late for breakfast, and Madam Lavigne had coffee for us. She offered bread and cheese, but we declined, at Colin’s urgent. I knew he wanted to stop at the patisserie. I told Madam Lavigne that we would be leaving tomorrow morning, and I reminded her, tonight we wanted her to join us for the dinner cruise on the Seine. She smiled as she gave Colin and me a kiss on the cheek. I knew we would always be welcomed in her home.
We stopped at the patisserie, and I bought some bread, cheese, a few pastries, and two cups of coffee. Colin smiled as he ate the pasties, and I was satisfied with the bread and cheese.
“You need to watch. Keep eating those pasties, and you will have to run to the Eiffel Tower.”
“I’ll race you.” There was no way I’d race him to the Eiffel Tower.
“How about we just walk at a fast pace?” He agreed, and that is what we started to do. But the street artists were out, and we had to stop and watch. From the smile on Colin’s face, I knew it wouldn’t be long before he would want me to draw him as the street artists would.
We arrived at the Eiffel Tower a little after 1 pm. “Let’s walk to the top, and there is a restaurant where we can get a cup of coffee.” And that is what we did.
“Armand, when you paint this on the wall at the club, could you paint us in it having a cut of coffee?”
I just smiled, leaned over, and kissed him. I couldn’t refuse him anything.
After our coffee, we watched the Seine from the bank. It was a peaceful time, “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking about the time I spent here and how I wished you were here with me. These past weeks have brought back many memories that I would have liked to share with you.”
“We can always come back. And maybe one day we will stand in front of one of your paintings at the Louvre, and art students will ask you about that painter as they did when they were with us at the Louvre.”
Looking at Colin, there was no doubt in my mind my love for him only surpassed his love for me.
We casually walked back to Madam Lavigne, holding hands. We stopped at the parks, watching the children play. A little girl came up to us to show us her doll, and I told her the doll was pretty but not as pretty she was. She smiled. Her mother came over and told her she shouldn’t bother people. I smiled, and in French, I told the woman she wasn’t bothering us but needed to show us her pretty doll. The woman took the little girl’s hand and walked away but not before the little girl waved at us.
Arriving back at Madam Lavigne’s home, we decided to pack so we could leave in the morning. I had arranged for a taxi at 6, so we had about an hour to kill. A nap was decided, which led to other activities.
At 5:30, we went downstairs dressed for the evening. I took the painting I had added my Arrow to with us. Meeting with Madam Lavigne in her sitting room, I gave her the picture and told he to keep it and someday it would be worth a lot of money. She took it and hung it on her wall in place of a photo. We had just finished a glass of wine when the taxi came.
Arriving at the departure point of the cruise, a young man was there to take our tickets and offer us a glass of wine. A waiter showed us to our table. It was a lovely night. The stars seemed extra bright, or the moisture in my eyes as I held Colin’s hand magnified the star’s glare. Paris always had an effect on me and tonight was no different.
As the boat pulled away from the dock, music played as dinner was served. This wasn’t one of those eat in a hurry and leave deals. There were pauses between the courses, and wine glasses were refilled depending on the individual. There was one guest who wanted the bottle. The wine Stewart wasn’t offering refills fast enough.
The brochure we were]given pointed out the various points of interest. We didn’t need anyone to tell us when we approached the Eiffel Tower, it was obvious.
As we neared the island in the river, I directed Colin’s view to the embankment. When we were in sight of the statue, I asked Colin to look. “It’s a statue.”
“Yes, it is called the Statue of Liberty Paris, and it was completed in 1889. This island is artificial and was built to separate river traffic. Madam Lavigne, Quel est le nom de cette ile?”
“Ile dux cygnes”
“I asked Madam Lavigne what the name is of this island. She said Swan Island.”
“I thought you were kidding when you said we would see the Statue of Liberty, and it is smaller.”
“Many people thought it was a prototype. It was built by the same man, Auguste Bartholdi, who built the statue in New York. He built several, and he was a renowned sculptor. The next time we are in Paris, we can visit some of his works.”
I’m not sure he heard anything except the next time we are in Paris.
Arriving back at Madam Lavigne’s, she was smiling ad couldn’t say thank you enough.
We had an early flight tomorrow, so we packed our bags and headed to bed.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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