The next day Jerome and I go to lunch, and after the initial chit-chat about business, he says, “My wife and I had a long conversation last night about your situation. May I tell you about it?”
I cannot imagine how long they must have talked, but the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of their examination of the issues astounded me. Jerome and his wife recommend that Miles attend the collegè which their daughter attended – it is “of a good level” (meaning, I infer, it has a reputation for good quality), the teachers are very open and energetic, and there will be other English-speaking students. Lee should attend a small, private Catholic school near their house. The families which send their kids to this school are mostly well-to-do, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and the mothers of the students do not work – Ceil would be able to join them for coffee or jogging or shopping after she drops the kids off to school. We should live in the neighborhood close to Jerome’s house because it is nice, and quiet and an easy walk to the schools. And Jerome’s wife has made several phone calls, and knows of four or five houses which are unoccupied – but would we mind living in a place that was already furnished?
I was as delighted as I was stunned. A man whom I’ve know for about a week and a half, and his wife, whom I’ve never met, must have spent an hour or more working through the needs of my family, and were ready to make calls, connections, introductions… provided it was okay with me.
I thanked Jerome profusely, and we agreed to visit Chateaurôux together that evening.
As it happened, late in the day, a crisis broke out which required Jerome to work late. No problem, I said. We can do it another time.
“Well, Andy, if you wouldn’t mind, you could go without me. My wife has made some appointments and she is anxious for you to get there, so if it’s okay, I’ll make some directions.”
Again, I was touched and overwhelmed. And a few minutes later, I was on the road. A comedy of errors ensued as I try to connect with Anne Marie – I could not find the train station, our appointed rendezvous – and nor could I describe my location to her when she called my on my cel. After a few fits and starts, I hailed down a lady passing by, thrust my phone into her hands, I asked her to talk to my friend and explain where I was. The two women talked and a few minutes later, Anne Marie turned up.
I can only assume Anne Marie is in the employ of the Chateaurôux Chamber of Commerce, because she gave me a wonderful tour – all the while apologizing for the small size of the town and the provincial attitudes of it’s inhabitants. Our first stop was at the home of a delightful couple whose name I cannot pronounce, but it begins with a very complicated positioning of the tongue in the roof of your mouth combined with a small cough from the back of your throat.
She is English and teaches English and does some translating for UNESCO, commuting to Paris one day per week. He is French. They lived in Toronto for many years. We sat in the most charming little courtyard behind their house, at a small table beneath a plum tree. We had a glass of wine, and our hostess put three small bowls of snacks.
We had perhaps the best conversation that I’ve had in months, let alone since my arrival in France. Monsieur ____ has a very cynical and sarcastic sense of humor – and I played the part of the American naïf for a while until I caught on to his manner.
“Why,” he asked, “are you doing this to your children? Why do you want to complicate their lives?”
“Ummm… well, uh…” I stammered, “I guess I want them to know a bit about the world – to not become Ugly Americans..... uhh, I guess I think it’s good for them to learn another language.” I was beginning to sweat.
“But that’s just it,” he replied, “If you would only leave them well enough alone they could grow
up without the burden of perspective or of different points of view. Why deny them the comfort of self-assuredness?”
“Umm.. well, uhh…”
“Don’t you see, if they come here for six months, they will speak French fluently. Heaven forbid, they may even develop the ability to see the complexity of things. What a terrible thing to do to
them! ”
I began to see his point.
We had an excellent discussion of Anne Marie’s proposal for which schools the kids should attend – and we all agreed that it would be better for them both to attend the same school. The school with the “European classroom” is terrific, but Miles’ primary task will be to learn French, and the finer points which recommend that school would not benefit Miles much.
We continued discussing the pro’s and con’s of living in France in general and Chateaurôux in particular – this couple shared Anne Marie’s sense that it’s a bit of a “hick town” (their words), but the train ride to Paris is less than two hours.
Anne Marie and I made our farewells, and continued the tour. We drove past the school, library, cinema, restaurants – all the while with Anne Marie pointing out places where we might live: “I k now the family who lives there, and they spend most of the year in Paris… I’ll call them; that place belongs to a man I know and it’s vacant… do you like it? I’ll call him.” We drive past the park, bowling lane, swimming pools – on and on.
And then we dropped in on another couple – the Nallets – for another round of introductions in another picture-perfect, postage-stamp back-yard garden. The Nallets have a daughter a year or so older than Lee who attends the Catholic school in town. Jerome, having solved the problem at work joined us at last, and on the way to dinner, more sightseeing: L’Ecole de Beaux Arts where they offer painting classes for children and adults alike (hadn’t Ceil mentioned an interest in a painting class), over there are the football (soccer) fields – are you’re children interested in football?
I left after dinner thinking this is the place. The city is not as large as Bourges, and there are fewer shops and restaurants, but neither is it a small village. And given the entrée offered by Jerome and Anne Marie, it seems like we could make some lasting friendships.
On Friday, Jerome and I talked some more. Anne Marie continues to make calls on our behalf – what was I willing to pay for rent? I am excited about Chateaurôux it seems likely we’ll wind up there… and I’m going make a few more inquiries about the options in Bourges before committing. Either way, it feels like we’re less than a week away from having settled on a home / school situation.
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