Hoping off the train, I turned momentarily behind me. "God, will that thing
ever stop itching," I had asked myself. A few days earlier, I had finally
taken that grand leap; I had planned for years about getting a tattoo,
though I kept putting it off. I was afraid that I would end up choosing a
foolish design, something I would be horribly embarrassed about, as I got
older. Eventually I came to the conclusion of, who cares? Other people had
gotten stupid brands on their body, so would others think any less of me
for mine? I will not forget that day; my friends had already gotten their
"statement," so they were more than happy to come give sympathy when I got
mine.
"What can I do you for you?" the gruff man behind the grubby counter had asked me. I obviously looked to "preppy" to be a place like this. "I have decided today is the day," I tried to say with the best "Marilyn" voice I had. The man laughed his head off. "Alright, then, what'll it be? I rabbit, a fairy, maybe a unicorn." "No, I want this right here," I grabbed a piece of paper out of my purse. a red windmill with brown and yellow accents around the roof, windows, and door. The man looked a little quizzical, but he didn't ask any questions, I'm sure it is not the strangest thing someone has ever asked him to permanently graft to their body.
"Where are we putting this?" Right here, I said pointing to the small of my back. "In the middle, if you please!" I smiled. My friends laughed theirs heads off, they understood the reference, we were all did hard fans of the Moulin, though none of them would go as far as to get a tattoo of it. I turned back; my friends were waiting impatiently for me. "Come on, Mon Capitan, " they said, "you have the plans and all the cash, so we would appreciate not losing you." They grinned, I pushed, and we laughed.
We made our way through the crowd, and out of the stationhouse. We looked around us, all the people, all the sounds, all the sights, it was all quite overwhelming. The women ahead of us stopped, quite suddenly, to say "Bonjour" to a friend they were meeting, I had to lean back to avoid running smack into them.
"We had better make our way to the Chambers de Journée, Chérie, it is probably going to take us a while, you know." I looked over at my friend David, I sighed. We had been doing nothing but walking for a week. I could barely tear myself away from the sights around me, before my backpack was slapped, and I almost fell over. "It's good for you, you know." I could barely fester a fake smile.
We started the long, continuous climb up to Montmartre, an almost ten mile non-stop hill up from Paris. It probably hadn't taken nearly as long as it seemed, but it seemed non-stop. I must have taken three hours, maybe longer, I had stopped bothering to look at my watch hours ago, it just elongated the pain, but then it was partly my fault wasn't it? Wasn't this what I had wanted, no! I shook my head, I had always envisioned being able to travel with money, being able to take a taxi, pay the ridiculous 100 franc charge for the ride like it meant nothing to me, getting out of the car, and going on my merry way. When we finally reached the summit of the hill, I was quite upset that my camera was shoved so far down in my pack; I had most definitely desired to take a picture by the famous "Mouth." The large gaping maw that was the doorway to the "village of sin." "We will have to come back and take a picture later," I said half out of breath. "Oh, you bet." Came the answer, Morgan and Nikki pushed each other with a few snickers like there was come big secret that once again I was not being let into.
I looked up at the famous Chambers, it was just liked I had imagined it. Still in modern times, it was the cheapest hotel you could get with fifty miles of Paris. I sighed, I wondered who much of the dirt on it was as old as the building itself. I shuddered. Eww!
"Madame de bonne journée, comment allez-vous. Nous aimerions une salle! Combien pendant une semaine?" Morgan chatted along with the landlady, who looked about as friendly as rabid dog in August. I could see she was looking forward to having us stay there, though I am sure she was going to charge us more, just because of our age. "Cinquante francs. Maintenant, vous n'allez pas ne causer aucun ennui êtes vous? Je juste n'ai pas besoin de lui!" replied the landlady, studying us intently. The only part of that sentence I had understood was "cinquante".fifty. "Not bad," I thought, I handed Morgan the cash. That lady is going to be one our case all week, I thought.
She showed us up to our room, no key, no lock, how comforting. Oh well, I thought I really don't have anything worth stealing. I hadn't realized I had said that out loud until "Yeah, well that's probably the sentiment of everyone who stays here" came from behind me. I blushed intently; I hadn't planned on everyone hearing that.
It was pitch-black dark outside when we finally settled it. Now was the time to get that great picture be the "mouth" I decided. "Come on guys," I whispered to the girls. "Let's leave these bums behind and get that great photo." Looking over at the guys who were already getting ready to go to sleep. "We're way ahead of you on that note," they giggled, that same mysterious look between them. Out of Nikki's bag she pulled a two can-can dresses. "We are going to get a great photo! We figured that tomorrow was Halloween, so we would celebrate tonight!" I had completely forgotten!
I remembered how much I had loved Halloween when we were all in high school together, every year we had found a different theme. We had done characters from Titanic, dead celebrities, you name it. We came to school in our costumes, even though there was no official written rule about it, it was a cry to be socially ousted. It was just not done. We had all come to the conclusion that we were on the outskirts of society anyways, we were in the drama club, we were in choir, some us played RPGs. So, we were doomed to outcast status anyways, so we might as well extend it to its full potential. I will never forget our senior year, Moulin Rogue had come out that year, and that was an opportunity we could not let pass. We had spent a month making the costumes, they were beautiful. We had two Diamond Dogs, two "Rakes", Toulouse, and Chocolat. I was to be Satine, not because I was more beautiful, no, the opposite was probably so, but because I was the only one with enough chutzpah to wear a leotard with fishnets to school. My famous quote had been "There's no shame in my game!"
Our great plan had been cut short though, when my jealous fiancée at the time, had found out about the plan. He did not like when others saw me "like that." I couldn't wear a two-piece at the beach because of his ranting. He forbid me to go either to school or any other place in "that outfit." I could only submit, though it broke my heart into a thousand pieces. I knew what the punishment for "insubordination" would be, as all my friends would too, he wasn't always careful to leave marks where others wouldn't see them.
After that happy thought passed, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't brought a costume to wear, and probably neither had Joy, the other girl who had come along with us. The look must have registered on my face, because Nikki replied, "Don't worry, we wouldn't forgot you." Out of Morgan's bag came two more costumes. I looked closer at them, at it was true, and they were the same ones we had made so long ago.
"But, how?" was the only response I could stammer out of my mouth. "After you gave this to us, we kept them all, waiting for the day we would finally come here. I tried to keep it as nice as possible, tucking in the back of my closet, so no one, even you would see it. I wanted it to be a big surprise, all these years later."
I hugged her. I was the most beautiful present she could have given me. Luckily for me, I hadn't gained any weight since high school; I was the same size 14 I had been then. Nikki and Morgan took turns trying to hoist the leotard up, while trying not to wake the men who had fallen asleep so quickly, but the spandex had shrunk it the closet. I finished pulling up my fishnets, I snagged them, but no one would notice in the dark anyways. I finished the ensemble with the top hat, which they had kept for me too. It was just as lovely and wonderful as it always had been. I looked down at my velvet heels, I had been convinced that they would be beautiful and comfortable, but now I was not so sure. I was so happy, though that the thought was just brief.
We crept our way out of the "Chambers" and made our way down the street. It was just as wonderful as I had imagined it. We laughed all the way down the street, skirts and fringe flying all the way. I looked over at our "petite" friend Joy. Though 5' 2", and much taller than the real Toulouse, she looked quite realistic as our artist. Pretending to hobble with the cane as a professional touch, I gave her a lot of credit.
By the time we made it down to the entrance, it was pitch black dark. I looked up at the moon; it was bright, and full, filling the street with its glow. There was a ring around it, a sure fire sign that there was magic in the air tonight. As Joy set the camera up on a pedestal, so we could all be in the picture, something caught the corner of my eye. I looked up to see a single shooting star, making its way wobbly across the sky. Morgan poked me in the arm, "Full moon, ring, and a shooting star? It's a great night for a wish." I sighed, a wish I thought, what in the world would I wish for.
I wish to know what true love is. I thought to myself as the star passed out of view. Morgan and me looked at each other, I wondered what she had wished for.
"All right, positions." We all scrambled to find the perfect pose; I tried to find the sexiest stance I could find, blowing a kiss at the camera. "Cheese" We must have taken a hundred pictures, before we started the walk back to out home-away-from-home. I looked over at the Moulin as we approached, for a Saturday night; it was quite lonely and dead. I pointed and everyone knew, we had to get one on the steps. I looked everywhere to see if there was anyone around. I did not need to be arrested for trespassing.
A few more pictures, flashing skirts, kisses, and pictures, of our little Toulouse on our shoulders. It was wonderful. We stood outside our room laughing, and signing little snippets of all sorts of tunes. I truly liked Nikki's off key version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." It was just the right thing to break through the silence.
I itched my back as we walked through the door, and I glanced back at the Moulin all the way up the steps. I sighed, I truly could have been a "Child of the Revolution," I always felt so out of place in the world around me. That was the last though I had before I fell asleep on my sleeping bag, I was more tired that a narcoleptic Argentinean, and fell sleep with my costume on, I am sure it would produce an interesting conversation in the morning.
"What can I do you for you?" the gruff man behind the grubby counter had asked me. I obviously looked to "preppy" to be a place like this. "I have decided today is the day," I tried to say with the best "Marilyn" voice I had. The man laughed his head off. "Alright, then, what'll it be? I rabbit, a fairy, maybe a unicorn." "No, I want this right here," I grabbed a piece of paper out of my purse. a red windmill with brown and yellow accents around the roof, windows, and door. The man looked a little quizzical, but he didn't ask any questions, I'm sure it is not the strangest thing someone has ever asked him to permanently graft to their body.
"Where are we putting this?" Right here, I said pointing to the small of my back. "In the middle, if you please!" I smiled. My friends laughed theirs heads off, they understood the reference, we were all did hard fans of the Moulin, though none of them would go as far as to get a tattoo of it. I turned back; my friends were waiting impatiently for me. "Come on, Mon Capitan, " they said, "you have the plans and all the cash, so we would appreciate not losing you." They grinned, I pushed, and we laughed.
We made our way through the crowd, and out of the stationhouse. We looked around us, all the people, all the sounds, all the sights, it was all quite overwhelming. The women ahead of us stopped, quite suddenly, to say "Bonjour" to a friend they were meeting, I had to lean back to avoid running smack into them.
"We had better make our way to the Chambers de Journée, Chérie, it is probably going to take us a while, you know." I looked over at my friend David, I sighed. We had been doing nothing but walking for a week. I could barely tear myself away from the sights around me, before my backpack was slapped, and I almost fell over. "It's good for you, you know." I could barely fester a fake smile.
We started the long, continuous climb up to Montmartre, an almost ten mile non-stop hill up from Paris. It probably hadn't taken nearly as long as it seemed, but it seemed non-stop. I must have taken three hours, maybe longer, I had stopped bothering to look at my watch hours ago, it just elongated the pain, but then it was partly my fault wasn't it? Wasn't this what I had wanted, no! I shook my head, I had always envisioned being able to travel with money, being able to take a taxi, pay the ridiculous 100 franc charge for the ride like it meant nothing to me, getting out of the car, and going on my merry way. When we finally reached the summit of the hill, I was quite upset that my camera was shoved so far down in my pack; I had most definitely desired to take a picture by the famous "Mouth." The large gaping maw that was the doorway to the "village of sin." "We will have to come back and take a picture later," I said half out of breath. "Oh, you bet." Came the answer, Morgan and Nikki pushed each other with a few snickers like there was come big secret that once again I was not being let into.
I looked up at the famous Chambers, it was just liked I had imagined it. Still in modern times, it was the cheapest hotel you could get with fifty miles of Paris. I sighed, I wondered who much of the dirt on it was as old as the building itself. I shuddered. Eww!
"Madame de bonne journée, comment allez-vous. Nous aimerions une salle! Combien pendant une semaine?" Morgan chatted along with the landlady, who looked about as friendly as rabid dog in August. I could see she was looking forward to having us stay there, though I am sure she was going to charge us more, just because of our age. "Cinquante francs. Maintenant, vous n'allez pas ne causer aucun ennui êtes vous? Je juste n'ai pas besoin de lui!" replied the landlady, studying us intently. The only part of that sentence I had understood was "cinquante".fifty. "Not bad," I thought, I handed Morgan the cash. That lady is going to be one our case all week, I thought.
She showed us up to our room, no key, no lock, how comforting. Oh well, I thought I really don't have anything worth stealing. I hadn't realized I had said that out loud until "Yeah, well that's probably the sentiment of everyone who stays here" came from behind me. I blushed intently; I hadn't planned on everyone hearing that.
It was pitch-black dark outside when we finally settled it. Now was the time to get that great picture be the "mouth" I decided. "Come on guys," I whispered to the girls. "Let's leave these bums behind and get that great photo." Looking over at the guys who were already getting ready to go to sleep. "We're way ahead of you on that note," they giggled, that same mysterious look between them. Out of Nikki's bag she pulled a two can-can dresses. "We are going to get a great photo! We figured that tomorrow was Halloween, so we would celebrate tonight!" I had completely forgotten!
I remembered how much I had loved Halloween when we were all in high school together, every year we had found a different theme. We had done characters from Titanic, dead celebrities, you name it. We came to school in our costumes, even though there was no official written rule about it, it was a cry to be socially ousted. It was just not done. We had all come to the conclusion that we were on the outskirts of society anyways, we were in the drama club, we were in choir, some us played RPGs. So, we were doomed to outcast status anyways, so we might as well extend it to its full potential. I will never forget our senior year, Moulin Rogue had come out that year, and that was an opportunity we could not let pass. We had spent a month making the costumes, they were beautiful. We had two Diamond Dogs, two "Rakes", Toulouse, and Chocolat. I was to be Satine, not because I was more beautiful, no, the opposite was probably so, but because I was the only one with enough chutzpah to wear a leotard with fishnets to school. My famous quote had been "There's no shame in my game!"
Our great plan had been cut short though, when my jealous fiancée at the time, had found out about the plan. He did not like when others saw me "like that." I couldn't wear a two-piece at the beach because of his ranting. He forbid me to go either to school or any other place in "that outfit." I could only submit, though it broke my heart into a thousand pieces. I knew what the punishment for "insubordination" would be, as all my friends would too, he wasn't always careful to leave marks where others wouldn't see them.
After that happy thought passed, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't brought a costume to wear, and probably neither had Joy, the other girl who had come along with us. The look must have registered on my face, because Nikki replied, "Don't worry, we wouldn't forgot you." Out of Morgan's bag came two more costumes. I looked closer at them, at it was true, and they were the same ones we had made so long ago.
"But, how?" was the only response I could stammer out of my mouth. "After you gave this to us, we kept them all, waiting for the day we would finally come here. I tried to keep it as nice as possible, tucking in the back of my closet, so no one, even you would see it. I wanted it to be a big surprise, all these years later."
I hugged her. I was the most beautiful present she could have given me. Luckily for me, I hadn't gained any weight since high school; I was the same size 14 I had been then. Nikki and Morgan took turns trying to hoist the leotard up, while trying not to wake the men who had fallen asleep so quickly, but the spandex had shrunk it the closet. I finished pulling up my fishnets, I snagged them, but no one would notice in the dark anyways. I finished the ensemble with the top hat, which they had kept for me too. It was just as lovely and wonderful as it always had been. I looked down at my velvet heels, I had been convinced that they would be beautiful and comfortable, but now I was not so sure. I was so happy, though that the thought was just brief.
We crept our way out of the "Chambers" and made our way down the street. It was just as wonderful as I had imagined it. We laughed all the way down the street, skirts and fringe flying all the way. I looked over at our "petite" friend Joy. Though 5' 2", and much taller than the real Toulouse, she looked quite realistic as our artist. Pretending to hobble with the cane as a professional touch, I gave her a lot of credit.
By the time we made it down to the entrance, it was pitch black dark. I looked up at the moon; it was bright, and full, filling the street with its glow. There was a ring around it, a sure fire sign that there was magic in the air tonight. As Joy set the camera up on a pedestal, so we could all be in the picture, something caught the corner of my eye. I looked up to see a single shooting star, making its way wobbly across the sky. Morgan poked me in the arm, "Full moon, ring, and a shooting star? It's a great night for a wish." I sighed, a wish I thought, what in the world would I wish for.
I wish to know what true love is. I thought to myself as the star passed out of view. Morgan and me looked at each other, I wondered what she had wished for.
"All right, positions." We all scrambled to find the perfect pose; I tried to find the sexiest stance I could find, blowing a kiss at the camera. "Cheese" We must have taken a hundred pictures, before we started the walk back to out home-away-from-home. I looked over at the Moulin as we approached, for a Saturday night; it was quite lonely and dead. I pointed and everyone knew, we had to get one on the steps. I looked everywhere to see if there was anyone around. I did not need to be arrested for trespassing.
A few more pictures, flashing skirts, kisses, and pictures, of our little Toulouse on our shoulders. It was wonderful. We stood outside our room laughing, and signing little snippets of all sorts of tunes. I truly liked Nikki's off key version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." It was just the right thing to break through the silence.
I itched my back as we walked through the door, and I glanced back at the Moulin all the way up the steps. I sighed, I truly could have been a "Child of the Revolution," I always felt so out of place in the world around me. That was the last though I had before I fell asleep on my sleeping bag, I was more tired that a narcoleptic Argentinean, and fell sleep with my costume on, I am sure it would produce an interesting conversation in the morning.