Yoko meshi (n.) The peculiar stress of speaking a foreign language (literally means 'a meal eaten sideways')
October 3, 1989
Bergerac, Dordogne department, France
3:40 pm
Bella slowly brought her hand up to the large wooden door. She noticed the strange hand-shaped doorknocker and gripped it instead of knocking. The bronze hand made loud thumping sounds as it rapped against the wooden door.
She heard movements from inside the house and it wasn't long until a regal looking, auburn-haired woman pulled the door open.
"Bonjour, je m'appelle Isabella Swan," she said, wanting to slap herself for sounding like she just stepped out of the first day of beginning French class.
"Ah Oui." The woman's green eyes lit up. "Miss Swan. Aurore sent you, I imagine. Did Guillaume drop you off?"
"Yes," she answered. "Are you Madame Caron?"
"Yes. Please come in." She opened the door wider, stepping back for Bella to enter.
A little bronze-haired girl emerged from another room as Bella entered the house. She looked to be about three or four. "This is Eloise," Madame Caron said, referring to the little girl. "She is my granddaughter."
The dainty little girl stepped around Madame Caron peering at Bella curiously. "Bonjour Madame," she said politely.
"Bonjour," she said to Eloise with a soft smile.
"She speaks English?" Eloise asked, looking up at Esme.
Esme nodded at the little girl and lovingly brushed back a lock of her honey colored hair. Eloise seemed to perk up at this revelation. "My name is Eloise Caron and I am four years old," she said proudly smiling up at Bella.
"Wow Eloise," she praised. "Très bon. You speak very good English."
Esme smiled adoringly. "She's getting much better. Her father really wants her to be able to speak multiple languages. That's why he requested an English Au Pair."
"Your son," Bella stated rather than asked.
"Yes," she sighed indulgently. "My beloved boy. He's usually away quite a bit because of his work, but he and Eloise will be spending an entire month with Philippe and I. I also have a daughter, Alice but she's away at the moment."
"And Philippe is your husband?"
"Yes he is," she said taking Eloise's hand. "Philippe and my son are not in at the moment, but please let me show you to your room. The vendangeurs usually stay down at the smaller lodging, but there is no more space. You will stay in one of the guest rooms here."
"Thank you Madame Caron."
"Please, call me Esme," she said, waving her off as she began to ascend the stone staircase. "Madame Caron is my mother-in-law."
"This is a very nice house, Esme."
"Yes," she concurred. "It has been around for many generations."
Esme took Bella on a tour of the rest of the large house before leading her to her bedroom. The bedroom had once belonged to Esme's son, Edward but once he grew older into his teens, he requested the larger room across the hall. Bella quickly got settled into the room and after freshening up in the en suite bathroom she made her way back downstairs to see how she could be of use.
As Bella's feet hit the last step, she almost collided with a large figure. Her mouth fell open with an audible snap at the sight of the man in front of her.
"Miss Swan?" He said it as a question. As if he was trying to recall if that was in fact her name.
She found her voice and answered softly. "Yes, and you are, Edward. Correct?"
"Yes," he answered, taking a step back. "I would have never expected to see you again, let alone here of all places." He looked different from when she saw him in London. Younger maybe. Instead of a suit, he wore jeans and a dark green pullover.
"Yeah," Bella said in agreement, pulling at the edge of her sweater nervously. "Are you…from around here? Oh yeah of course you are. You said you were from Dordogne."
"I live here," he laughed. The sound sent strange tingles up Bella's spine. What were the chances of running into him again? "I grew up in this house."
"Oh so are you Esme's son –"
"Yes, Esme is my mother."
Everything finally made sense. "Caron. Edward Caron," she gasped, slapping her palm to her forehead. "So you were the one looking for the nanny. You're Eloise's father." She should have realized earlier, but she just did not make the name connection.
She recognized him immediately as the Edward from England, but it took her a while to make the connection with Esme. She felt silly for it. She wondered if there was a Mrs. Edward Caron.
He nodded at her inquiry. "We've settled on one just –"
"Ah Edward," Esme said breezing into the room. "Elle est Isabella." She pointed at Bella. "Elle sera d'aider à la ferme."
He nodded at his mother as his eyes raked over Bella. She suddenly felt self-conscious. Was he looking at her like that the entire time?
"Ah oui," he murmured, averting his gaze. "Where is Eloise?"
"She is having a snack in the kitchen."
A man about Esme's age entered the house. "Isabella this is my husband Philippe," Esme said, gesturing to the tall dark-haired man. He smiled politely but didn't speak. "You will have to use your French more with him," she said in explanation. "His English is not very good."
"Bonjour Monsieur Philippe."
Philippe told her hello and left to go find Eloise.
.
October 4th, 1989
Bergerac, France
6:30 am
"The typical working day is seven to eight hours. It's usually eight," Esme said, as she and Bella walked at a leisurely pace to the vineyard. "This includes some daily chores as well. You will mainly be picking grapes, but there is also work that can be done on the farm as well."
"Okay," Bella said, trying to keep up with everything as Esme continued on in quickly paced French.
"Some people who work here are with WWOOF. Have you heard of it? It's rather new."
"Yes," Bella answered. "When I was doing my research on where to go, I came across some information about it."
"After work most of the vendangeurs go to pubs in town or sometimes we meet up for wine in the wine cellar. Grapes are harvested in September so you have arrived close to the end of harvest, but there is still some to do. After that, there are other things you can help with. We are involved in a lot."
When they arrived Bella was given a pair of plastic gloves, hedge cutters and a backbasket. Vendangeurs usually formed groups of two when picking and Bella was paired with Michael, a young Englishman around her age.
"Okay, so we're supposed to stand on either side of the grape tree," Michael explained. "This is for symmetry purposes. The way we will move down the rows is actually quite beautiful."
"Sounds great!"
"You have to cut the grape head delicately." He demonstrated on the nearby tree for her. "Then, if there are dead parts, scrape them off and save what is left. Put the grapes in your basket and then at the end of the day some will be dumped into the trucks that are filled with ice."
By the end of the day, Bella learned that grape picking was not a simple task. She was glad she arrived at the end of the season. She was handed a backbasket and was instructed on what to do with quick French. Once her backbasket was somewhat full, it was heavy and tiring. She also spent a lot of time bending and could feel the soreness in her muscles.
For Bella, lunchtime was the best part of the day. She sat down for a surprising full four-course meal with and a glass of red wine from the vineyard. It was an amazing opportunity to get to know her fellow workers. Other than Michael, who was from Manchester, there were two other English people, five French, and two from Spain.
They invited her to come out with them to a nearby pub in the evening after work. She happily accepted the invitation. Bella was extremely happy in her new position. This was the European experience she imagined. Being immersed in a culture, surrounded by beautiful landscapes and a beautiful language.
"So, which state are you from?" Michael asked conversationally as they sipped drinks.
"New York. I live in the city." He seemed to be particularly interested in everything that came out of her mouth.
"Cool." He leaned closer to her. "I visited last year. I had a lot of fun."
"That's great. It's fun."
"I'm glad you came out with us. You seem like a cool girl."
Bella gave him a weak smile. "And you seem like a cool guy." He seemed like a pleasant, friendly guy and he was obviously interested, but she didn't want to give him the wrong idea. She did not travel to Europe to find romance.
They were interrupted a young Frenchman named Jeff who had rejoined the table and asked Michael something about harvest. Bella spent the rest of the night getting to know the other Vendangeurs.
.
October 29th, 1989
Bergerac, Dordogne, France
1:58 pm
As the weeks passed by, Bella became more comfortable in her work. The grape collection had come to an end and she was settling into farm work. All of her fellow workers were extremely friendly and helpful to her. In the time she was there she had also drank more wine than she ever had in her entire life.
"Isabella may I speak with you for a moment please?" Esme asked one afternoon.
Bella looked up with slight panic. Was she not doing a good job? She couldn't imagine how. Her new role was a lot simpler than grape picking.
She followed Esme towards the track to the house. They were quiet for what seemed like several minutes. "It has been wonderful having you here," Esme said as they neared the back entrance. "I want to ask something of you."
"What is it?" Bella raked her memory, trying to think of mistakes she might have made while completing her new tasks.
"As you know, harvest will be ending soon," she began. "What will you do after you leave here?" Esme took a seat on the bench in the back garden. "How do you feel about children, Isabella?"
Isabella was surprised by her question. "I like them. Children are great." She realized how silly she must have sounded.
"You have experience. Yes?"
"I have some experience. I used to babysit for neighbors for many years and I once had a job at a daycare last summer."
"Great," she said, folding her fingers under her chin regally. She patted the spot next to her on the bench. "Have a seat."
Bella carefully sat down beside the captivating woman. Esme leaned away slightly as if appraising Bella, her lips twisted thoughtfully. She nodded slightly before asking, "How do you feel about becoming a nanny?"
"A nanny? For monsieur Edward?" Esme nodded at the question with a small smile. "I don't know Madame…" Bella said nervously. "I don't have –"
"You just said that you have experience. You like children too. You are perfect for the job. I have seen you interact with her while you lived here in the house with us. Little Eloise is no trouble at all and she likes you." Esme's hair blew lightly in the wind; her green eyes twinkled in anticipation. Bella never ceased to be amazed by how mesmerizing and enchanting Esme appeared to be. She was the epitome of what Bella hoped to be one day.
"It sounds like a good opportunity, but what about my work here? I can't do both."
"It is an amazing opportunity," she said. "Edward really needs someone now that Vanessa is no longer coming. You will get to travel a lot too. Edward is always all over the place. I know it is not the usual backpacking way, but it is a win-win situation. Besides there won't be much to do here now that November is coming near. I can handle things with the people we have now. Plus you were going to leave at the end of next month and it's almost here."
She placed a hand on top of Bella's. "Think about it. Please."
"Okay." The opportunity did sound nice. Traveling around Europe as a nanny to the child of a busy businessman.
She clapped her hands together, standing up. "Très bien Bella!"
Bella watched as Esme happily glided away. The woman was managing to actually make her consider saying yes to the nanny job. Despite of how much Edward made her feel nervous. It was a good nervous though.
"You said you used to babysit?" Edward asked in an incredulous tone.
Bella's eyes moved around the home office like a child seeing something strange and magnificent for the first time. She turned her attention to him realizing he asked a question. "Yes. I worked at a daycare too. Briefly."
Edward stared at her for a long time, probably wondering if he could take her word. His piercing green eyes, which were so similar to his mother's, seemed to burn through her. She felt herself shrink back in her seat at the intensity of his gaze.
"Tell me about yourself," he said finally, folding his arms. "Something I don't already know."
"Well, I'm 21 years old. I was born and raised in New York City and I'm currently on break from College."
Edward leaned back in his chair, his jade eyes filled with curiosity. She noticed he had incredibly long eyelashes, "What is it that you study?"
"Psychology and French."
"French." He rubbed his chin, his eyes raking over her again. His long fingers tapped lazily against the mahogany desk. "How is your French?"
Bella realized she must have been staring stupidly at him. Her mind somehow had decided to focus on his lips. "My French?"
"Yes, your French," he clasped his hands in front of him. "Eloise's primary language is French. She speaks English too, but it's not always perfect or ideal. I want to know if you can communicate effectively in order to meet her needs."
"I'm pretty good, I guess," she shrugged. She started biting her thumb nail which was a nervous habit. She did not have too much difficulty communicating with Aurore. She had also gotten a decent grade in the last French course she took. Her professor was horrible though, and she probably didn't learn as much as she should have.
"Comment? Seriez-vous en mesure de s'engager à parler plus souvent français?"
Slight panic rushed through Bella. She was usually pretty good at French listening skills, but she felt mentally unprepared. "Oui, je peux. J'étudie le français à mon université."
"Very well then," he said, with a sigh. He didn't sound very convinced. "That will have to do. I really do need someone. I usually hire through an agency and they have much more experience, but Vanessa, the Au Pair from England I originally hired, is no longer available so…" he trailed off. "You're hired."
"Really?" She was genuinely surprised. He did not seem to be completely confident about hiring her so she definitely was not expecting such a quick hire.
"Yes really," he said, smirking at her expression of disbelief. "You seem like an intelligent and highly capable woman. The people I hire are typically educated like yourself. Usually, if you were with the Au Pair program like Vanessa was, you would need to have a lot of paperwork completed and a health certificate and many other documents. Then there would be a contract that is signed through the agency and then we would have to register you, but we are doing things very differently. You will be hired as our new nanny so those requirements won't matter. Besides we are not staying in the area."
"Sounds good to me."
"Good. I will draw up a contract, and you can start your trial run." His tone left no room for argument. "Vous pouvez commencer dès maintenant. Votre première tâche est de trouver ma petite fille. Elle peut être très sournois. Ne la laissez pas vous tromper. Cela va être plus difficile que vous le pensez."
Bella scurried out of her seat nearly tripping over her own feet. "Right. I'll get right on that." Usually around this time Eloise is with her father. Since that obviously wasn't the case Bella decided to check with Esme.
She bumped into Eloise and Esme entering the house just as she was about the exit through the back doors. "Bonjour Bella," Esme said cheerfully.
"Bonjour," she replied politely before telling Eloise hello.
"Bonjour Bella," she said sweetly. "Mémé et moi jouions."
"Playing?" Bella leaned down to get to her level. "That sounds fun."
"It was fun." Listening to a child speak French was a lot harder at times, but she was not having much difficulty with Eloise.
"How did it go?" Esme asked in a conspiratorial tone, following Bella towards the kitchen.
"It went well. I am officially her new nanny." Bella gave a shrug as she tried to contain her giddiness.
"That is wonderful Bella." Esme turned to Eloise. "Did you hear that El? Miss Bella is going to take care of you. She will go to Switzerland with you and your Papa next week."
"Switzerland?" Bella asked. This was the first she was hearing of this. Surely Edward would have mentioned leaving the country. Or perhaps he did and she did not notice. He had an odd way of distracting her.
"Oh yes, did he not tell you?" Esme asked. "That's where they live at the moment. It's between there and Paris, and Edward travels quite a bit besides that. That's why he needs someone."
"Wow," Bella said. "That sounds amazing." She realized then, that this new job would be quite the adventure. It wasn't how she imagined her trip, but this may turn out to be an excellent change. It would probably be better than her original plans.
Bella felt Eloise's small hand tugging on hers. "Tu viens aussi?" You're coming too?
"Oui," Bella said, stooping slightly to meet her eyes. "And your father wants to talk to you."
Bella gently took her hand and began leading her to the office. Eloise was very quiet along the way, which settles Bella's fear of what Edward had said about her being more devious than she looks. Eloise appeared to be a perfect angel.
"Papa!" Eloise squealed, running towards Edward and bounding into his lap. It was a precious sight.
"Chéri!" He placed a kiss on her forward and looked up expectantly at Bella where she stood at the door. She closed the door behind her and made her way to the chair across from his desk. "Mlle Bella va être ta nouvelle nounou."
"Je sais," she said grabbing a pen on the table. "I want to draw."
Edward shuffled around the desk retrieving paper for her to draw on. "I think you two should spend some time getting acquainted with each other over the next few days. You need to learn and understand how she needs to be cared for. I want to see if you can handle it."
"Okay," Bella said, nodding. "I can do that."
"So, Eloise," Bella said, leading her down the hallway after Edward shooed them out of his office. "What do you want to do today?"
"I get to pick?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. She started bouncing.
"Uh…yeah." Bella wasn't sure what Eloise's daily routine was. She had assumed they would just play, but now she wondered if she was required to do anything specific. She figured she would just go with the flow and do what felt natural when it came to the child.
"I want to watch la Rue Sésame," she said, with finality. "Papa got me tapes." She grabbed Bella's hand, leading her towards the stone steps.
They settled at a small table in front of the television in Eloise's immaculately decorated bedroom. The room was chalk white in color with intricate gold flowering at the edges of the walls. It was the most beautiful bedroom Bella had seen a child have. It was fit for a princess.
After a few minutes of singing along with the French alphabet, Eloise began to get restless. "Let's play Bella."
"What do you want to play?"
"Princess!" she squealed. "I am the princess." She scurried across the room and retrieved a tiara, which she placed on her head. "We will have tea." Eloise brought out her toy tea set and placed it on the table in front of Bella before moving to sit across from her. "This is my tea table. Mémé and I play here all the time."
"Really?" Bella smiled. She wasn't sure she could ever get over how adorable the little French-speaking girl was. "I love having tea parties. I used to play with my Mémé too."
"When my mémé has tea with grown-ups they use real things," she mused in french, after a few minutes of their pretend tea party. "Bella?"
"Yes?"
"Can we drink real tea?" She shook her empty cup, peering at its emptiness. "Or wine? Mémé and my papa drink wine all the time."
Bella laughed heartily at that. Children always did say the funniest things "I don't think your father would be happy with me if I gave you wine."
"Papa didn't say I couldn't," she said tapping her chin contemplatively. Bella could not help, but smile at how adorable of a sight it was. "Please Bella?" She brought out the puppy dog eyes and clasped her hands together.
"Come on," she hoisted herself up reaching for Eloise. "I will see what I can do about the tea. It's a no for the wine, though." Eloise appeared content with the idea.
Twenty minutes later they were finishing some corniottes in the kitchen with Esme. "This was delicious Esme."
"You liked it?" she asked. "I'm glad because I haven't tried to make it in a long time. I always used to ruin it in the beginning."
"I loved it."
Eloise let out a big yawn.
"Looks like somebody is tired," Esme chuckled. "Why don't you take her upstairs? She will nap for about an hour."
"Okay," Bella placed down her cup, reaching for the tiny girl and pulling her into her arms. They ascended the stairs where Eloise slept peacefully for just over an hour.
Happy New Year!
Even though it is written in English, the conversations with Eloise were in French. Since this story is an English language story, that is how the majority of it will be written. Her English skills are okay, but choppy at times.
Translations
Elle sera d'aider à la ferme- She will help on the farm
Vous pouvez commencer dès maintenant. Votre première tâche est de trouver ma petite fille. Elle peut être très sournois. Ne la laissez pas vous tromper. Cela va être plus difficile que vous le pensez. You can start now. Your first task is finding my little girl. She can be quite sneaky. Do not let her fool you. This will be harder than you think.
Mlle Bella va être ta nouvelle nounou - Miss Bella will be your new nanny