madness of Tess

chapter 5: Privas( part 2)

***

And indeed, as soon as his parents arrived, Elysabeth must hold on well. When her father understands that his daughter is lost and determined (who spoke of determination...? No because she is anything but not determined...), he is almost two fingers to collapse. And the same scene is reproduced, tirelessly, the same threats, same insults,

dubious comparisons with his

failed sister... But the young woman

hold on. She will have to live only

a few days in this hostile climate.

She is still surprised that her

mother come and help her pack

and boxes.

_Are you sure of yourself? You know your

father has the means to find you a

post at your fair value.

_Mama... I swear to you that I would...

But I know it's not a solution...

_You want your independence... I

understand.

_Not more than that... I don't control

not all that's going on right now

moment in my life, that's all... I

I'm terrified...I...I can't explain it.

_Want to bring your piano?

_Yeah, I would love to...

- I'm still sad that you leave under these conditions... It's going to be empty here... Now we are like old mummies with your father... (She helps him close a box of clothes). (Pause) You know your

father won't let go... Do you know that? One day he will eventually bring you back to him

_I know... I will do everything to come back... He seems that we should not stay more than five years in the same position... Maybe that by next year I will be able to com e back...

_ Why don't you stay Elysabeth?

It can be seen that you are going there

reluctantly... You're better than that.

You are brilliant... Stay with us...

Elysabeth looks at her mother, almost

with firmness and authority. She blows

to free her hair from her

face... And ends up softening... His

mother is just afraid of loneliness like

she.

_I do not know... But you never acted like

that ! What's wrong with you? You have

met a man, right? I want just know why you are change overnight... It was

agreed like this, that you do ENA has always been... I would like understand Betty.

Elysabeth bites her lip... She too

would like to understand... and then it's

what this crazy idea to believe that a

man would be behind all this...

But there are things that go beyond

sometimes the aura of human beings. There are fates that are traced...

***

The day before the big day, Luc Du

Tonquin refused to say goodbye

to her oldest daughter. He slipped away

like a ghost, a habit in this family to flee.

Veronica has tears in her eyes... She

held back all this time, and in plain sight

of Eve in the distance, she takes Betty in her arm briefly before lockinthe n his library in turn, the extremerealize y heart (on the run...). It's weird, Elysabeth doesn't realize maybe not just for the first time of her life, she will leave the"cocoon"family. She is so modest

that she appeared cold and tense

in Veronica's arms, so tense... It would hardly bother her warm nor cold to leave his mother and his father and yet she never knew than them... them and his loneliness...

Elysabeth has never rubbed shoulders with so many of men so close in so few

time than during that day. There are

this Maxime, his sister's guy, tall

and blond, long hair and style

metalheads (horrifying), then there's

James and Arnold. She is silent while

watching busy and transporting

stuff in the truck. It troubles her.

They are there, with their bunch of muscles highlights...

Eve died laughing with them. She is so close to them! His sister is so tactile... It's quite confusing.

She blushes several times, and turns away often the eyes. She can't wait to

climb into the van and not

no longer be in contact with all these types.

***

The road is long, Eve rather drives

good. For several hours, the

younger sister just put the

loud music, cutting metal

Ely's ears. The latter has the

face crushed against the glass...

The more the kilometers go by, the more

she has the impression to sow all her

nobody on the asphalt. She dare not

break this silence. She is petrified

by this stranger who awaits him. His

heart tightens in her chest... She

looks like she's going to faint...

Tomorrow, she will be alone... She has always been alone but now it's different... She

will have to manage everything... And then damn it, she

finally understands that she is going to be at the head of a

service, which she will surely lead

people... And it pinches him all the more

the stomach.

It's when Eve finally comes out of

the highway near Valencia in the

Drome that things are accentuated

for the Parisian. Elizabeth is taken

violent nausea that pushes Eve

to stop at a sort of parking lot.

_Hey what are you doing to us here?

It's not the time to be sick Betty.

Elysabeth runs to a corner to

throw up his guts.

_I do not feel very well. It's worse

than I thought. Did you see that ? You

have you seen in the bush where we are?

All those mountains and forests...

_There is not mountains here... Don't abuse it neither. Calm down... and breathe. That will go!

_I don't think so... I like the city myself...

Docks finally good for a city car you

crazy not often the nose outside.

- you love not the city , you just like being cloistered in your bedroom...

Eve looks sternly at her sister. frowning. - And then you too...

sighs Ely more fragile than ever, cramps of everywhere, holding her belly capriciously.

What me too? What's the matter

Betty again? I'm not good enough

- your pampering? I'm exhausted, I

signal. Be nice you want... (She leaves

his pestle at Ely's frightened look. What

his little sister is on drugs?! lacked

more than that !)

You haven't said a word all along

long...(try to think of something else

Elysabeth, look elsewhere than on

this illegal substance...what a shit....

Beep)

At the same time not easy to have

a chat with you Sista... oops...

Should I say MY dearest great

sister... The blood red mocks. You are

bored to death! Everytime

I start a topic, you're horrified. We can't talk about anything without you

don't be shocked! We can't talk

of love, nor of friendship sinîpce you have no no friends... of othing! So I am silent.

Elysabeth painfully swallows her saliva.

Eve is a real pighead.

- I would have liked you to discuss

with me. It would have helped me to think of something else...

- Oulah you are capricious madam

the marquise... Ok. We sit down and we

discuss then...

Eve advances towards a kind of bench

in wood. Elysabeth joins her step

dragging.

- Finally you know that you will not escape in Privas...

_I know

- What do you want to discuss? Pity

no God... Just to know that

I almost carry a church in

this truck... If we get arrested we

going to take us for fools with

all your crucifixes... In short

(she blows her smoke. Ely coughs it up. This smell is filthy! She can't believe it his sister is so debauched as to smoke the chichon.)

Betty hesitates...

- Do you really want to sleep with a

woman with your boyfriend?

Eve burst out laughing.

- "Boyfriend" ? Damn it's been ten thousand years that I had not heard

that old expression from the age of

dinosaurs... Dude. yeah. .

Damn does it bother you that much? Your are homophobic, like the darons. But I I'm not a dyke and at worst what is it the problem ?

-"I'm not homophobic...

- Oh well what are you then? A saint ??

- You shouldn't do that with your

buddy. This is ...

_ This is ? Well come on say it? What do you relieves... You see, it's useless

to talk about that. We don't have the same perspective, that's all. And even

you have no vision at all!

Quickly we arrive and I get out.

You are irretrievable...

good go enough

chatted... We have an hour and a half of driving left and I would like to arrive

before nightfall. And by

pity if it's to talk bullshit,

shut up...

Elysabeth, not calmed down for a penny

reluctantly goes back to the place of the

passenger. It seems that the last

kilometers are the hardest. The road

becomes narrower and the turns become

succeed. What is this horror. the

landscape makes her more than nervous to

inside her... There are very few

of villages, a few dwellings, and

relief, no lighting... Nothing! Looks like

that the truck sinks in a kind

of jungle... Bitterness.

Streams of water criss-cross... And the

mountain seems to come out of the ground for

intercept all the anxieties of the

Parisian... Privas is at the foot of

of a plateau (Coiron), in the valley

of the Ouveze. The sky is clear in this

end of the day... If Elysabeth opened

wide her blue eyes, she would see in

the retro the chain of the Alps... Look

Betty, there is the Mont Blanc that makes you happy

returns inside...

You are unbearable! (Eve loses her temper and throw his butt away) (a beat) you also you could one day kiss

a woman ! It can happen to everyone in the world...

Elysabeth takes her air again

horrified before having a tiny laugh disgusted...

-Oh no, surely not. Jesus has others

projects for me...

- You are irretrievable...

good go enough chatted... We have an hour and a half of driving left and I would like to arrive before nightfall. And by

pity if it's to talk bullshit, shut up...

Elysabeth, not calmed down for a penny

reluctantly goes back to the place of the

passenger. It seems that the last

kilometers are the hardest. The road

becomes narrower and the turns become

succeed. What is this horror. the

landscape makes her more than nervous to inside her... There are very few

of villages, a few dwellings, and

relief, no lighting... Nothing! Looks like

that the truck sinks in a kind

of jungle... Bitterness.

Streams of water criss-cross... And the

mountain seems to come out of the ground for

intercept all the anxieties of the

Parisian... Privas is at the foot of

of a plateau (Coiron), in the valley

of the Ouveze. The sky is clear in this

end of the day... If Elysabeth opened

wide her blue eyes, she would see in

the retro the chain of the Alps...

-Look Betty, there is the Mont Blanc that makes you happy returns inside...

Privas is not very big, it is

certain. What is surprising is the

calm that reigns there, these are the facades

in stone from the old town which borders

the Ouvèze which flows into the Rhône

a few kilometers further, it is

this bridge of Louis III, this church of Saint

Thomas...The impression that the city is

shrinking, that it is only a village,

a hamlet. The truck passes through the

streets and already Elysabeth feels caught in the

throat... A few bistros are still

open and all eyes are on

towards them. For the first time in his

life, Elysabeth feels she is gradually becoming a stranger. She only sees these people from low society watching her with their cigarettes in their mouths, to watch

the comings and goings of this funny van looking for its way.

Eve ends up asking her

road. The grandpa looks at the plate

license plate looks bad... He watches the accent and the appearance of the two young women. Then he indicates that he

must go on the right, continue straight and that the building is on

left. Not very pleasant this grandpa who smokes his pipe with his beret pressed on the skull.

Eve doesn't pay attention.

unlike Betty... She just can't wait to go to sleep... She wonders how she's going to unload the truck... It's not with the force of fly and the bad will of Ely

they will go a long way...

- Here we are, Betty. You're at home.

I think it's the owner over there ... You make the inventory and you ring me? There is not a lot of network here. I'm going to buy us food.

At home ? So this is her home...

No, Elysabeth does not feel at home.

She just notices the damaged facade

of the building. She just notices the neighbors at their windows pointing at them...

But it was the only accommodation available

in such a short time... So she has no choice and it doesn't make her happy...