I still remember the day vividly, like it was yesterday… … …!
Flashback to June of 2003 ….
And then my phone rang. It was 05:50 in the evening. I know because I had looked at my watch and noted it down. A woman's voice spoke to me in an unknown tongue…. in a sweet sing song style and spoke non-stop for two minutes.
I was confused. "Aahh. Pardon…?"
The voice took a deep breath and attempted to communicate once again… and then paused. I struggled to understand. I was about to say that I do not speak the language when it struck me that it was indeed English!!!
A few minutes later, I rushed out of my office armed with just an address. It just said that was "by the Mississippi river" . It was one hell of a drive. Driving through rush hour traffic on the freeways; then roads which were narrow and so unlike the rest of America. The streets looked different… And more crowded. The houses and buildings seemed more artistic. And then there was this scenic drive with the Mississippi River on my right. I wish I could launch into poetry about the beauty of the drive. Unfortunately I cannot... Coz I did not take the time to watch. Yes. U read it right. I saw beautiful glimpses of a nature... Valleys, cliffs and ravines, trees and shrubs, hills and hillocks and river beds and a setting sun in the amazingly clear and… somehow close horizon. But I did not bother to take a moment to look and enjoy.
Coz, I was far too preoccupied keeping my car on that narrow road, so that I do not drive off the ledge into that deep ravine which almost certainly would be fatal. I almost gave up. I don't even remember if I breathed for the entire length of the road. It was like walking on trapeize on someone else foot. But I managed. My car did not go off the ledge. And I did make it to the address just when the needle on my watch crept to 07:00 PM. Or so I thought…
I was there at the Junction of Dane St and Crawford Ave, at the signal. And I searched for the address. Remarkably it wasn't there. Where on earth is it? I drove up and down the street a couple of time and then at the red light punched a number.
The sweet voice said .... "Oui. …. “
I missed the rest. She tried again.
I stopped on the street to concentrate more. Tires screeched. Horns blared. I think I noticed a finger on my rare-view mirror while someone cautiously drove past me. The voice on the phone seemed to indicate the address was at the Junction. I could not see the address inscribed anywhere. "I don't see it", I screamed on the phone, "I just see this ancient looking reddish-brown building by the lights".
The voice said , again in that sweet sing song tone... "Oui. Oui. That is it. I am in the building. Please come …"
I drove back to the Junction and then into what she said would be a parking lot. That miniature parking lot was over-flowing with vehicles. I had to back all the way down the street with traffic on either side of me… and finally after 10 minutes of hunting, gave up and did a quick street-side parking. I grabbed my bag, locked the door and ran all the way back to the building, glancing at my watch.
"Jesus H Christ. I am late."
There were cars all over the street … and I ran like crazy; down the street. Drivers slowed down. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a middle aged man in the gas station stop fuelling and stare at me. I was beyond caring. I dashed down the street…
"Holy Mother of God. I hope I reach there before it is too late"
I reached the building gasping for air, grabbed the door and ran inside the corridor blindly. It was slightly dark. After all it was fifteen minutes past seven in the "night". I slowed down uncertain… there was no one in the corridor. But I could hear voices…
There was a door which was slightly ajar. I hesitated for just a sec…then took a deep breath and gently pushed it open. There were 3 people inside the room- Two women and a man. The man was young, well built, with blond short hair, thoughtful look and a pleasant face. The woman opposite to him was a beautiful Caucasian woman. She was so darned pretty that you would forget to breathe for a moment – You know, the type that makes your eyes pop out of their sockets and your jaw drop to the floor on any normal day. Heck any male would fall for her.
But this is anything but a normal day. With a slight nod at her puzzled face, I looked the lady in the center….
"Bon Jour Monsieur. She blurted out. ".
No. This is not her. Definite! The same accent; the same style. But the voice, I KNEW it was different. It was not her on the phone. It could not have been. I can still hear her voice clearly on the phone. Maybe I didn't understand much of what the voice said, but this was definitely NOT her. I am sure of that. I took a deep breath, all my instincts alert... My eyes searching ... My ears ready to detect the faintest of sounds….
"Bon Jour Monsieur", She said again this time with a smile," We were worried you may not make it".
I did not take my eyes off her. I kept all three of them in my line of sight while I took the chair she offered….
"Thanks!"
She handed me a book and asked me to open it to page 8.
And started teaching French….......................
Flashback to June of 2003 ….
And then my phone rang. It was 05:50 in the evening. I know because I had looked at my watch and noted it down. A woman's voice spoke to me in an unknown tongue…. in a sweet sing song style and spoke non-stop for two minutes.
I was confused. "Aahh. Pardon…?"
The voice took a deep breath and attempted to communicate once again… and then paused. I struggled to understand. I was about to say that I do not speak the language when it struck me that it was indeed English!!!
A few minutes later, I rushed out of my office armed with just an address. It just said that was "by the Mississippi river" . It was one hell of a drive. Driving through rush hour traffic on the freeways; then roads which were narrow and so unlike the rest of America. The streets looked different… And more crowded. The houses and buildings seemed more artistic. And then there was this scenic drive with the Mississippi River on my right. I wish I could launch into poetry about the beauty of the drive. Unfortunately I cannot... Coz I did not take the time to watch. Yes. U read it right. I saw beautiful glimpses of a nature... Valleys, cliffs and ravines, trees and shrubs, hills and hillocks and river beds and a setting sun in the amazingly clear and… somehow close horizon. But I did not bother to take a moment to look and enjoy.
Coz, I was far too preoccupied keeping my car on that narrow road, so that I do not drive off the ledge into that deep ravine which almost certainly would be fatal. I almost gave up. I don't even remember if I breathed for the entire length of the road. It was like walking on trapeize on someone else foot. But I managed. My car did not go off the ledge. And I did make it to the address just when the needle on my watch crept to 07:00 PM. Or so I thought…
I was there at the Junction of Dane St and Crawford Ave, at the signal. And I searched for the address. Remarkably it wasn't there. Where on earth is it? I drove up and down the street a couple of time and then at the red light punched a number.
The sweet voice said .... "Oui. …. “
I missed the rest. She tried again.
I stopped on the street to concentrate more. Tires screeched. Horns blared. I think I noticed a finger on my rare-view mirror while someone cautiously drove past me. The voice on the phone seemed to indicate the address was at the Junction. I could not see the address inscribed anywhere. "I don't see it", I screamed on the phone, "I just see this ancient looking reddish-brown building by the lights".
The voice said , again in that sweet sing song tone... "Oui. Oui. That is it. I am in the building. Please come …"
I drove back to the Junction and then into what she said would be a parking lot. That miniature parking lot was over-flowing with vehicles. I had to back all the way down the street with traffic on either side of me… and finally after 10 minutes of hunting, gave up and did a quick street-side parking. I grabbed my bag, locked the door and ran all the way back to the building, glancing at my watch.
"Jesus H Christ. I am late."
There were cars all over the street … and I ran like crazy; down the street. Drivers slowed down. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a middle aged man in the gas station stop fuelling and stare at me. I was beyond caring. I dashed down the street…
"Holy Mother of God. I hope I reach there before it is too late"
I reached the building gasping for air, grabbed the door and ran inside the corridor blindly. It was slightly dark. After all it was fifteen minutes past seven in the "night". I slowed down uncertain… there was no one in the corridor. But I could hear voices…
There was a door which was slightly ajar. I hesitated for just a sec…then took a deep breath and gently pushed it open. There were 3 people inside the room- Two women and a man. The man was young, well built, with blond short hair, thoughtful look and a pleasant face. The woman opposite to him was a beautiful Caucasian woman. She was so darned pretty that you would forget to breathe for a moment – You know, the type that makes your eyes pop out of their sockets and your jaw drop to the floor on any normal day. Heck any male would fall for her.
But this is anything but a normal day. With a slight nod at her puzzled face, I looked the lady in the center….
"Bon Jour Monsieur. She blurted out. ".
No. This is not her. Definite! The same accent; the same style. But the voice, I KNEW it was different. It was not her on the phone. It could not have been. I can still hear her voice clearly on the phone. Maybe I didn't understand much of what the voice said, but this was definitely NOT her. I am sure of that. I took a deep breath, all my instincts alert... My eyes searching ... My ears ready to detect the faintest of sounds….
"Bon Jour Monsieur", She said again this time with a smile," We were worried you may not make it".
I did not take my eyes off her. I kept all three of them in my line of sight while I took the chair she offered….
"Thanks!"
She handed me a book and asked me to open it to page 8.
And started teaching French….......................
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