Fireweed by Richard Vaughan Davies

Author:Richard Vaughan Davies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkspot Publishing
Published: 2023-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Rose points at it and we giggle again. Suddenly nothing seems to matter anymore.

We walk briskly for fifteen minutes or so. Herr Klumpf grumbles, but our mood lightens with every step. The exercise has revived our spirits. I mention something about the stiffness of my leg, and the beautiful girl on my arm laughs and says something obscene and I hold her more tightly as we walk along together. Our breath freezes together into a single cloud in the frosty air. I am seized with joy.

The few people we meet mostly keep their heads down, though one woman with a baby smiles at us and offers us a cheerful greeting. I realise we must present a picture of hope, the tall young man and his merry girlfriend defying the devastation all around us. A grey-haired man looks at us with envy and hurries on.

We have come to the remains of a cobbled street at the back of the Cathedral, where the remaining cottages still bear signs of having formed part of the church community. The ancient bulk of the thousand-year-old building looms high above us, and although two walls are missing and the roof has collapsed, much of it has miraculously escaped the bombing. A gargoyle’s head stares balefully down on us among the exquisite medieval stonemasonry, and the flying buttresses soar up to heaven, gladdening the heart.

The house I have been advised to look for has a portico with a carved stone arch over it and a hollowed worn doorstep. The ancient brass bell rings reassuringly within the house. After a moment the door is opened by a plump dark girl.

‘Bonsoir, Monsieur et Madame.’

‘I was told to ask for Jean-Pierre and to enquire if by any chance you have a table for tonight?’

‘Mais bien sur! Entrez, s’il vous plaît.’

We are politely shown into a small dining room, furnished with dark red embroidered drapes and heavy antique tables and chairs. A Mozart serenade is playing on a hidden wireless. A delicious smell of garlic and onions wafts from the kitchen.

A dozen or so other diners fill the room with merry chatter, the clatter of cutlery, and the heady aroma of Gauloises cigarettes. A small bald young man in a blue apron is serving a party of four with plates of casserole and side dishes piled high with green vegetables and roast potatoes. One of the diners is liberally filling the glasses on the table with red wine.

The girl shows us to a small table in the corner lit by an oil lamp and takes our coats. We luxuriate in warmth, a welcome contrast to the bitter chill of the evening. The girl disappears into the kitchen and we settle back in our chairs, again smiling at each other conspiratorially.

‘This is the life,’ I say, rubbing my hands together and looking round at the scene. ‘Civilisation again at last. Oh boy.’

Rose doesn’t answer for a moment. She has tears in her eyes.

‘What’s the matter?’ I say anxiously. ‘Don’t you like it?’

‘You’ve no idea,’ she whispers.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.