French Country Travel Life Legacy – Part Four
French Country Travel Life Legacy – Part Four brings us to the inevitable conclusion of my French-Mexican adventure. Checking out Parts One, Two and/or Three may help you connect the dots more easily.
After two plus weeks of Ten hour “Mr. Fix-It-Up” days Paul returned to France for Christmas. DA BG had agreed(with no arms twisted) to stay on until the end of January to provide a “security presence.” (my greatest unhearlded talent.)
With Paul gone my routine remained basically the same. With one exception: Wine Rationing! I had only three bottles of White to last seven weeks! Which meant less than a quarter (tiny)verre per meal. And(shock horror) only once per day. This, dear reader was wine appreciations most challenging hour. Why didn’t I just buy more from our tiny village “supermercado?” One word: “Undrinkable!”
Like all good things, my mission of “Mexican assistance” came too soon to an end. Again I was on the same bus. This time in the opposite direction. And this time – no Ramon . Wait – it gets worse. Yes, dear reader, this driver/DJ was into hard core Country Music. “Big eight wheeler rollin’ down the track means your lovin’ daddy ain’t comin’ back – I’m movin’ on” (sung with a closepeg on your nose for maximum fidelity)
After two weeks back in the land of drinkable wine(almost) everywhere, no “bon mots” from Paul or Denis. I was just about to phone when Denis appeared at my door. With a shoe box.
I sensed correctly from his uncharacteristically somber mood that a shoe-based joke would not be appropriate.
After a long pause Denis murmured softly: “It’s Paul……last night…..” He didn’t finish the sentence. Nor did he need to. “How” I asked. “In his sleep” Denis replied.
No further words were needed. As we each silently savored our connections to this treasure of a man.
Finally, Denis offered me the box. “He left this for you.” You know what was in the box, dear reader. Do you not? Inside the glass was this note. In Paul’s elegant calligraphic hand : “Whenever you drink from this I hope you’ll remember your time in Mexico with an old pal.” And I do, dear reader. I do.
THROW ME A BONE HERE,PEOPLE!
What are ya thinkin’?
sad…..but the happiest ending possible.
rene…gotcha..but for me..more of a different way of continuing….rather than an ending.
a truly captivating and emotional series. sorry to see it end.
with ya there brad…..but sooner or later…..everything comes to an end……especially us humans.
i agree with the lady who said the story was ending….but continuing in a different way…
give us more tales from and of the heart like this one!
as a fellow wine lover…i feel your pain with the “wine rationing!”
steve….i “feel the bgs pain” with the country music torture!
to me country music is not torture! it’s he heart and soul of america! better than all that whining crap on the radio!!!
hate to burst your bubble orville…..but “whining crap” exactly describes how some people (not me, of course!) feel about country music.
with ya there jack…and hey orville…..you’re “off topic!”
i’ve been to mexico…and you’re right…their wine is totally undrinkable! (does that make me a “wine snob?”)
“fussy” manny. “wine snob?” where is the line bewteen the two?
were you a poet in another life?
hey walter…doesn’t matter…he’s definitely A WRITER in this one!
these are not a series of four posts. they are a novelette. and a great one!
i enjoyed all these posts so much. thank you for sharing such a tender and personal story.
like aamandine i thought this series was sooooo good. please give us more!
wine rationing and a long country music bus ride – talk about a double whammy!
for us gary – yeah..;but for DA BG ..all in a adventures work!
While “heminwayesque” in his use of short, information packed sentences, DA BG’s style and narrative talents remain singularly unique.
love everything you do!
betty..that’s a big “10-4” from me to!
as someone who has lived in mexico, i want to say that you’ve really captured the spirit of the place with a few deft observations.
very funny. but i like the country musik.
you’ve got some cool moves my friend.
just an awesome series BG. Way ta go!