CHAPTER THIRTEEN REMEMBRANCE
The Characters, places and situations of Doc Martin are owned by Buffalo Pictures. This story makes no claim of remuneration or ownership, nor do I make any attempt to infringe upon any rights of the owners or producers.
Thank you for reading. I welcome your reviews and input. There may be spoilers for Season Six.
Louisa and Joan spend a day at one of Paris's finest museums.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Joan and I awakened to a beautiful Paris morning. It was still early so we decided to walk to the Musée d'Orsay where we planned to spend the day. We found a small cafe in the Tuileries Garden not far from the Seine. I told Joan I fancied a bit of breakfast - meaning a proper breakfast.
"Mum, I believe the hotel does have a buffet to cater to the variety of visitors, but I am afraid I became used to how most French folk do it. I do not even know a word for breakfast in French. I think they usually just say le petit deujeuner- a little lunch. Most here just have a bit of bread and coffee. Maybe some fruit or yogurt. Let me order us something. It will be good for the morning and we can have lunch at the museum restaurant."
"Well, alright, maybe a good cuppa to start the day then."
"Mum, tea in France is their revenge. It is expensive and not all that good. I will take care of us."
I ordered us a fresh baguette and espresso. Nothing like this wonderful crusted bread with butter and sipping black espresso slowly. Of course you know my mother. Had to add a bit of sugar. I follow my dad in that department.
Being near the door we could feel the coolness of the morning. The air seemed fresh as it ushered in the day. I remembered to tell Mum that I had booked a massage for us with the concierge.
"Did you know Novotel offers free massages on Tuesdays and Thursdays? I scheduled us for half six. Afterwards we can eat at the hotel restaurant."
"That sounds marvelous. Perfect ending to a perfect day."
"It will be that, Mum. The Musée d'Orsay is one of my favorite places to spend a day in Paris."
The museum was not far. It is situated in a magnificent old railway station and holds the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world. They have whole rooms dedicated to each of the masters - Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, and my favorite, Monet. One gets heady just imagining it! And there is furniture, sculptures, photography and so much more. It is simply a delight to slowly savor it which Mum and I did. It is quite amazing that we stayed together and talked, as most couples differ in their museum pace.
Mum had stopped in front of a painting and I knew she was off in another world. She didn't even hear me when I asked what she was thinking. She simply said,
"It is so dark and frightening!"
I looked closely and it was a painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme entitled Jérusalem. It was a picture of the crucifixion of Christ showing only the shadow of crosses with everyone departing as clouds of darkness begin to obscure everything. Mum's voice had fear in it. I had to ask her, "What's wrong Mum? There are many paintings like this."
"No Joan, not just like this! You think the past is gone and then something like this just opens pains long forgotten. Look at it. It just cries "Abandoned!"
Mum and I were close and I knew a good bit of her life before and after she met Dad. Her mum did leave her when she was quite young. She and Dad must have both felt abandoned when they kept trying to make things work, but kept running away from each other. But that was so over. My Granny Eleanor tried to make up for the past. I always liked her. She was funny and fun. I wish she would have visited more. It was crazy how she and Dad would try to stir each other up, but it was mainly teasing. She and Mum got on well I think. You can't erase the past but seems like you can fix it a bit.
"But, Mum, life is good. No one is leaving anyone now. Besides I've watched you. You go out of your way to be sure no one ever feels left out or alone. Your hurt made you a better person. Come on, give me a smile. Let's take a break and have some lunch." I gave her a huge hug and she responded warmly.
"Sorry Joan, but when something like this happens, there is no stopping the memories. You'll see someday. Yes, let's eat. I am a bit peckish."
Later we moved room by room viewing the great masters. We were standing before a lovely work by Van Gogh with a couple resting in the shade of a hay stack. Being entitled La Méridienne, it was obviously depicting a nap together after lunch following a hard morning's work.
"Oh Mum, that so makes me think of you and Dad. You have both worked so hard and deserve a bit of a rest. You taught for so many years. I know you loved it, but it must be good not to be reporting for work every day."
"Yes, Joan I am glad not to have the rigors of administration and politics. I do enjoy volunteering with the students though. I always enjoyed the children. It was a bit of a tap dance having your own children in school. I know I was a bit hard on James when I had to discipline him. Went overboard to show I wasn't being partial."
"We all survived Mum. It's hard for Dad to slow down, isn't it?"
"His consulting on cases keeps him in the game a bit. His opinion is still respected and he often receives radiographic communication on which he is asked to give his diagnosis. And oh my, remember last winter when the locum physician called him in a panic. I think he really was glad to be able to perform the emergency appendectomy on the Clancy boy at the surgery. He still has a steady hand."
It was late in the day when Mum got all moody on me again. I think we were getting weary and I was planning a taxi back to the hotel. We were in Salle 10 which was dedicated to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Standing before a work with the title Le Lit, Mum said, "I do hope James and Emily are happy. The couple in the bed are so peaceful. It makes me think of our newlyweds."
"Crikey Mum, they've known each other their whole lives. Trust me, they are happy."
"Yes, I know. The year they lived close to each other gave them confirmation that their affection over the years was the real thing. This picture is just so beautiful. It reminds me of James and Emily. I hope they sleep this peacefully."
"Sleep! Are you joking? But I do agree. It is beautiful and serene. The two appear to be sleeping without any care or worry."
"Well there is little to worry about on the Isle of St. Martin. It is only 2 1/2 miles long. Perhaps we should call them tonight."
"No Mum, we should not call them tonight. Let them sleep peacefully or maybe be awake privately without our interrupting. This is their week, OK?"
"Alright, I suppose you're right.."
With that we did decide to make our way to the exit and back to the hotel. We were mounting some stairs when my toe caught the edge and I fell, catching my left knee on the corner of a stair. It was quite painful. A guard was with me instantly to assist. So we had a slight detour while my knee was attended to at a first aid room. After the initial shock the pain was not too bad but I definitely had skinned my knee properly.
On the way back in the taxi we were too tired to converse and feeling my knee, my mind wandered.
My brother was the best. When very young he was a tease but he was always my defender and supporter. In a very unsibling-like manner we talked about everything. I knew a lot more about him and Emily than Mum did, and had for a long time. And now they are married. It will alter our relationship but I am bound to stay close to him. Dad and James are the only two males I trust completely.
It was after school one day in the playground. I was in year two and my friend Mary and I were running. Suddenly my foot caught on something and I was flat on my face. I remember it really hurting. Mrs. Wilcox was helping me up. I was crying but I could see my brother James sitting on top of Arthur Couch hitting him in the head. Suddenly Mr. Connor, the school caretaker, was pulling James off of Arthur. Arthur looked awful. I didn't know a person had that much blood.
It turned out that James saw Arthur trip me. Arthur was in year five and was always picking on kids. Anyway, James got in a lot of trouble. Mum, who was head teacher, suspended him for a week. He had to miss a really important football match. I know Dad gave him a really hard time. He had to be grounded from life.
Late that night when we were going to bed James came to my room. "How ya doin' Muffin?"
"I'm OK. I'm sorry you got in trouble James."
"Don't worry about it. I did what needed doing."
"But Mum and Dad are really mad, aren't they? What did Dad tell you?"
"Lot's of stuff. He mainly said acting without thinking will always get me in trouble. He told me astronauts act on instinct when there is a crisis. They can do it because they plan ahead for problems. You've heard him say this."
"Sure. Dad sounds more like a teacher than Mum sometimes. Are you grounded?"
"Yeah. But that's not the worst of it. He is telling Mum when I go back to school I have to sit 30 minutes every day for a week alone facing Arthur across a table. What can come of that?"
"I'm sorry James."
"Muffin, you are worth two weeks of facing Arthur. If he ever gives you trouble, I want you to tell me."
"Thanks James, you're the best!"