Revons Plus Grand

Chapter 18:

Ensemble Nous Sommes Invincibles

"Here are your tickets," said Benoit Rousseau to Sadako Shimohara and Georgette Lemare after their shift at the Camp des Loges later that day. "This includes a one night stay at a local chateau of your choice in the city. Go have a great time in the countryside, all right? You've earned it!"

"Thank you so very much," Georgette said. "I want to treasure my new memories of seeing my home town after being away for so long thank you."

"We appreciate your support, Benoit, and we plan to come back on Thursday night," added Sadako. "Aside from Dijon, I've never been outside of Paris or been to Normandy, so I would love to check the place out."

"The package includes a one night stay at the Chateau De Bonnefontaine, complete with breakfast and lunch and a ride back to Gare Paris-Nord, where you can connect to return home from your day trip," said Benoit. "Take plenty of photos and share with the world!"

"We will," said Georgette. "These are memories we will treasure, no matter where we are in this world."

"I have asked Mr. Sami to allow you to pack up at your residence before he drives you to Barenton and drops you there. He will also pick you up at about 7 p.m. the next day. Have fun!"

"Thank you, Benoit!" said Georgette and Sadako, exchanging hugs before the two girls left the Camp des Loges to head to the station.

The sound of the coach's engine, a rich monotonous hum, rang discreetly as the two girls were on the shuttle to the small town in Normandy, the vehicle on a fresh, full tank of gas. In the background, Paris's rivals, Olympique Lyonnais and AS Saint-Etienne, were in action in the Europa League, with the winner of the tournament booking a place in the next UEFA Champions League.

As the bus drove down the N12, through rolling countryside and cows trundling idly down pastures, Georgette let out a sign, stretched her back and arms, then she rested her head on Sadako's lap, clad in a fur coat over a petticoat and a white dress with white boots. Sadako chose to go with a chick sweater, a PSG scarf and jeans to go with alligator boots and a shiny gold watch. As well as some haute aviators. "Sada, clean my ears for me," she said sheepishly with a yawn.

"As you wish, Jose, my dear," she replied, taking a swab and delicately cleaning her ears before disposing the swab into the receptacle. Jose purred like a Persian cat as the cat tracker joined her and rested on her soft, sweet backside. Seeing that, Jose picked up the cat and embraced it like a toy as she snoozed for a bit.

"I left my childhood innocence in Barenton," admitted Jose through her closed eyes and hushed lips redolent with red lipstick. "When I decided to join the 502nd, it was because I felt that I needed to come of age and be a symbol of peace for my nation, because everyone I knew in Barenton believed in me."

"Is that so, Jose..."

"I never did it for selfish reasons, my service to the armed forces. I feel that there is a peaceful, nonaggressive way to resolve conflicts, but if force has to be used, it is because people in power never like to settle issues like gentlemen. That's why sometimes I have to put Alex and Danny in line during their training because their attitude is something that will not help them be men of character."

"You're like a mother to them in a way, Jose. I have noticed that. It's rubbed off on the team. Your nurturing touch helped the boys beat Barcelona, a team I thought was invicible."

"Girls?" asked Mr. Sami.

"Yes?" asked Sadako.

"Since Barenton is a city not accessible by train, you are riding with me. The owner of the chateau is a good mate of mine and is a fan of the club. He allows for stays by invitation only. He also is a good friend of Mr. Nasser and they both arranged this stay for you. So, Ms. Jose, you get to come home in style, the Parisian Way!"

"Wonderful!" said Jose, blushing with a giggle. "I will look forward to meeting with the host."

The coach finally arrived outside a green gate that was open. A footpath going up a hill led to the doors of the chateau, which was decked with flowers in bloom. It was a rustic, three-story structure with a weathered room and old windows. A timeless piece that was spared destruction from the wars, located on 567 Rue de la Liberation, 50720.

"Here we are," said Sadako as the coach headed back on the highway towards Paris, leaving the two girls and their belongings. "This is your home, you're back."

Georgette shed a tear. "Yeah, I'm finally here. In Barenton, where I was born. I feel like I am in heaven again and this is dream I refuse to wake up from."

"The dream is only beginning, let's enjoy it."

"Follow me, Sada!"

Sadako and Jose went up the hill to the door, where a short man of a medium build arrived with a gleefull laugh on his face. "There you are, both of you!" he said, hugging there. "Welcome to Barenton, Normandy! I am the owner of the chateau, Rohan. Sami and Nasser know me very well. Your names?"

"I am Georgette Lemare, and this is my partner Sadako Shimohara," said Jose. "We are employees of Paris Saint-Germain and have been given Thursday off to relax here for a bit before returning to Paris."

"Your face seems somewhat familiar, as if you remind me of someone from my old family archives," Rohan said. "Let's head inside, both of you."

"Mr. Rohan, thank you for having us here," said Sadako. "Georgette has visited this place many times before, she was born here as well before moving to Paris for a change of scenery."

"Really, Ms. Georgette?" Rohan asked.

"Jose is fine. You can call Sadako Sada for short," she replied.

"Simpler the better. Have a seat." There were some sofas, a table, and some modern equipment installed in the chateau.

"I'm surprised how modern this is," said Georgette, turning on the television, where people from L'Equipe were still talking about the big victory on Valentine's Day. "I never thought this chateau would actually have a high definition television!"

"Nasser was kind enough to donate some modern equipment and make this chateau more accessible to travelers and we get a lot of visitors here from France and outside of France," Rohan explained, providing a tray of sandwiches, cold cuts and desserts. "Eat up."

"Mmmm, actual Normandy cheese, I have missed this so much!" exclaimed Georgette, blushing as she enjoyed her meal.

"This is really good!" Sadako said. "It tastes like heaven!"

"Some locals from around town heard you were coming and brought some handmake specialties from these parts," Rohan explained. "You two watching that historic result on replay huh? You work for them so I guess you may have played a part in all this, hmmmm?"

"It was the team's effort but I had faith that they would do their duty to put on a show for those who came to see them," said Sadako, beaming with delight. "It's a dreamlike atmosphere, the environment that football fans in this great country live for. On Tuesday, my boys, Sada's boys, our boys made France proud."

"But we are only getting started," said Sadako. "We want to keep this going on Sunday against Toulouse, and with the new additions to the team and Julian, we have a confident bunch ready to get to work."

"I can tell you this, ladies," said Rohan, sitting with them and eating from the plate while pouring some wine for them, "I did not expect this at all. You may have, though. Did you?"

"I actually thought Barcelona was going to validate all the trophies they had won in the past," said Sadako. "I never thought they would desecrate their honors in such a spectacular way."

"As soon as I saw the tip from Five Thirty Eight, I think it's called, I was confident the boys had a chance to make history," Georgette said. "I believe in my men so much, I guess you can say I did not allow Barcelona to interfere one bit. Both sides listed to my wishes it seems, but really, the home team wanted to show it was skilled at entertained couples in the great city of Paris that believe in the magic of PSG."

"Indeed so," said Rohan, sipping some freshly brewed coffee done with the French press.

Her hands were clasped and one eyes was closed. "But if you don't mind, please pass off my view of the event as speculation, this result makes me extremely happy; I couldn't help it!" Jose appealed.

"You are so humble, I like that from you," Rohan said, triggering a giggle. "My daughter Elise is just like you when she was younger. She was very loyal to me and my wife, before she took off for Canada to work in Montreal. She makes a living developing cutting-edge equipment for female ice hockey players and also works at Brookfield Properties."

"What's her favorite team?"

"The Habs, of course. Le Club de hockey Canadien. Montreal Canadiens, the most accomplished ice hockey team in North America. And she is also married to a employee at the Montreal Forum, and he helps operate the facility and coordinate events. They have two kids, one boy, one girls, four-year fraternal twins. Oh, and they are all PSG supporters."

"Montreal has a very strong PSG fan club, huh?"

"Yep," said Rohan. He showed Sadako and Jose some photos of his daughter and son-in-law. "This is Elise and her husband Gaston at a function at the Forum, which used to host Montreal Canadiens home games before moving to Centre Bell. They love their hockey and they love their poutine. And speaking on which, I made some." Rohan went to a table and brought three big bowls of freshly cooked pommes frites topped with curds, turkey gravy and local cheeses from the stores up the road. "Normandy-style poutine, based on my son-in-law's recipe."

"This is delicious!" exclaimed Sadako. "Mmmmmm!"

"Don't rush eating it all, Sada," said Georgette, indulging in the rich, savory goodness of Quebec's gift to gastronomy and the thing that truly matter before washing it down with a sip of cabernet. "Food is meant to be enjoyed. Slow down, we are not in the city today. Today, you are on my pace, got it?"

"Yes, dear." And so she took her time to enjoy every decadent morsel, the savory zip of the gravy taking her on a magic carpet ride without leaving the chateau. And they saw Angel Di Maria paint the corners, Julian Draxler rifle the left side, Edinson Cavani blast the right side in a guns blazing display that made Barcelona worse than Montpellier, Toulouse and Guingamp combined in terms of effectiveness against Le PSG.

"Is she like this all the time to you?" asked Rohan to Sadako.

"I sometimes think things too much or rush to making decisions that it's so easy for Jose to expose me. But it's because she loves me and I appreciate that."

"Paris is the City of Love, and love does win when it can do no wrong. I'm sure you two had a nice time in bed afterwards."

"I think a win like that made us very sleepy," admitted Georgette. "But it's a very nice sleep, and when our sleep cycles are on form, we can get a lot done. Right, Sada?"

"A lot done, baby, you know it, heheh," purred Sadako as the two girls clinked glasses. "There will be blood, there will be fire, there will be hearts full of burning desire! France, France, France!"

"Are you visiting, Ms. Sadako?" asked Rohan.

"Work visa. I am from Hiroshima, Japan."

"Aha...so, now that I am familiar with you guys, you will have the rest of the evening to take a look around and the morning and afternoon tomorrow. Perspective: the important ingredient in appeciating the work you do. I am confident that the team will make it business as usual on Sunday night. Enjoying your visit here?"

"It's everything I envisioned and realized before arriving on French soil, Mr. Rohan. I have integrated well and am very familiar with how normal life is in Paris. It's similar the type of pace I am accustomed to back home but with more style and sophistication."

"Don't ever forget the memories you cherish here when you return home. The moment you leave, you will realize on then, that this was not a dream you lived through. And you did make a difference in helping those in the part of the world that are on your side. Enjoy your time here, and here your keys," said Rohan, handing the girls the chateau keys so they would return to rest.

"Thank you, Mr. Rohan," said Georgette. Over the next several hours montage of scenes of the girls visiting every corner of Barenton was displayed on the other side, a convoy of moving pictures that indicated that Barenton in 1944 was not much different than Barenton of 2017, only with changes in technology and agricultural processing that accelerated production of the finest goods in this part of Normandy.

That montage conveyed by the cat tracker culminated with the two girls sleeping with their hands held on the coach, driven by a reflective Mr. Sami, on the way back to Paris, eastbound, where more work would have to be done by the men and women of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, an organization that refused to sit on its laurels and focus on improvement towards another anticipated demonstration of its football mastery to another enthusiastic turnout at Le Parc.

For Georgette and Sadako, they believed that an association football match is similar to attending a concert or a meal at a Michelin Star restaurant. The presenters and protagonists are expected to put on a performance that satisfies the wishes of its patrons by exhibiting the collective football mastery that they have rehearsed for at the Camp des Loges. Every touch, pass, dribble, shot, save, dispossession would be scrutinized by pundits, by experts, by journalists who have their own agendas that are in turn scrutinized by the public, who in turn issue either rebuttals or support.

Any win by a team of Paris Saint-Germain's pedigree and caliber indicated that their knowledge of the game, their intensity displayed, their individual skills and managerial strategy was of an acceptable quality that would sustain their belief in being patrons of the most accomplished organization in French club football to date. Three weeks remained on the loan contracts of Alex Hunter and Danny Williams. Following the return leg against Barcelona, the two young men would return to their clubs across La Manche, the Channel, to assist with their ongoing campaigns. The club was clicking, and the wheels were in motion.

At the same time, Rohan believed that Georgette's appearance was reminiscent of a similar vision evoked by his parents, as if she had come back from leaving the world for a better place. He decided not to speculate at all and saw the two off. Young women like Georgette and Sadako did not come around quite often, especially when they did do some fixer-upping of the house after their jaunt through town.

"Intensity is the essence of focus," Tomoko Anabuki said to Yoshika Miyafuji as her protege circulated the blood flow on every part of her body, yielding pleasurable sensations that resonated in effervescent volume on the other side, back at her quarters. "I like Kanno's spirit and demeanor. With Sasha returning from her assignment to assist with drills, the spirit of this team is fully restored. It's a very positive, lively environment."

"Indeed it is," said Yoshika. "But I want to ask you this question."

"Go on."

"Do you say this only because I am massaging you the way I want to, or is this a genuine opinion?"

"A very brave question, the pun notwithstanding." A few robust exhales as her bust was fondled. "It is always genuine because I envision myself as an honest woman in and out of serving our people. Kanno herself says that she feels like she is walking on a cloud when I oversee her body of work. I reminded her as she took down a target, do not be a hero and go the extra mile to impress your team. Do what you can and prevail, but do not pay the price for being selfless because your energy is needed to overcome the path that lies ahead."

"Well said, Tomoko."

"Your life does not depend on training and drills alone in this business. Your life depends on using what you learned, the dynamics of the rules of engagement, in training and drills to win battles and wars. It parallels the concepts of sports and any task that requires work. It is something I have learned very well in all my years of flying the flag for the Silent Witches."

"Tomoko..."

"I am in my 20's. I am now teaching those who will follow. Major Sakamoto, a peer of mine who you know as your direct senior, is also doing the same. I don't do as much fighting as I used to but I know that I did my part to keep the morale of the team going heading into the upcoming campaign later on. The time will come when I have to finally step down, but I am not ready to call time just yet. Not with you here with me."

"Indeed. This is the mindset and frame of mind I always expected out of you. It's something that inspired me to be just like you," said Yoshika. "That's why when I...pleasure you like this, I remember it every time because we don't see each other very often. So we need to value this and our service to helping the 502nd while those are on the other side of the timeline. As long as we do our job and we enjoy our job as Witches, together, we are invincible."

"Yoshika."

"Yes?"

Tomoko smiled, the light shining on her nude, stimulated frame, an adult with curves and a build designed for the next chapter in a long life outside of the military. "I couldn't agree with you more. And more history will be made."

END CHAPTER 18