Lycée George-Sand La Châtre

A family is dining around the table. 

"Mum, said Leo, the little skinny boy, how did you meet Daddy ?

- It’s a long story ! said Betty, the pretty woman. You really want to hear it ?" She smiled.

"Yeah ! replied Cerise, the 4 years-old girl. Tell us how you met Daddy !

- Okay, said Betty, but eat your frenchbeans first.

- That’s mean.

- I know, but that’s the way. »

The children ate their frenchbeans very fast. Children hate frenchbeans. It’s good only for your health.

« Good, said Betty. I met your father in a shop in Paris. It was very romantic. It was not a shop like we have here, not like « Marks and Spencer » or « Primark ». It was a bookshop in Paris, where English books where sold. It was called « Shakespeare and Company. 

- You met Daddy in a bookshop ?! replied Cerise. But he hates books !

- Let me explain. Ten years ago I was working in Paris, in La Defense. It was a very boring job.

- You always told me : « If you want a good job, you need to work », said Juliette, the 17 years-old girl.

- Yeah, but I disliked school when I was young. I always wanted to hit my maths teacher... Well, I was bored with my job. I wasn’t very proud of myself : I was not well dressed, I was friendless and I was impopular. My parents didn’t want me at birth. They always said that I could never find my happiness in this world...

- They were wrong ! replied Leo

- Yes, I think so too. So when I went to Shakespeare and company for the first time, I thought it was a wonderful place. I love English ! Who could hate that ? You can speak with everybody all over the globe ! I decided to come there every saturday. Hum, well, one time, I was reading a book about the Tudors when I heard the sound of the piano. It was just a charming melody. I wanted to see who played that. So I walked in direction to the room where the piano was. But when I arrived to the door, the guy who was playing wasn’t there.I ran to see the leader of the bookshop, René, a 50 year-old man, quite stout, but very nice with me. I asked him if the knew the man or the woman who played that, and he said : « Oh, you’re talking about Stanislas ? He comes here every saturday afternook. A very nice guy !

- STANISLAS ! screamed Cerise, It’s Daddy !

- So your father wasn’t there, said Betty with a smile. So after a long week, I came back to Shakespeare and Company. I crossed my fingers and I prayed for the man to come. It was five o’clock when I realized that the guy would not be there. I don’t know why but I was quite sad. Why was I sad forsomeone I had never seen ? I didn’t know, so I closed the book I was reading, and I thought I’ll go home and I’ll watch « FRIENDS », like every day, like every week, like every year... When I heard the sound of the piano. It was more beautiful and more attractive than last time. I came into the room and I saw him. Your father had red hair at the time. I said :« You play very well the piano ! » I was admirative. He smiled and he asked me if I would take a coffee with him. I said yes, why not ? After that we became friends, afterwards best friends, and now we’re together, with you. That’s all.

- It was a very pleasant story ! said Juliette

- Yeah, said Betty. Now, go to bed !"