madness of Tess

chapter 9: The hard reality ( part 3)

This interview with Amira will have left traces... The latter has since taken pleasure in shouting her exploits from all the rooftops... These are often

the "we say" that forge reputations.

Caroline salutes this audacity... Elysabeth must be put out of business... A kind of mutiny is brewing in the shadows.

Elysabeth goes on her third day. She got her signature delegation... But she looks like a ghost with that white lace skirt that doesn't even smell her size... She is a breeze in this corridor... Today, she is working on the OLFT (obligation to leave French territory). Looks like she's been studying these kinds of decisions all her life. It analyzes and tracks improvements to provide more legal security. She doodles on the decisions written by Jeremy

and leaves its style there. redact and writing is up to her. She only knows how to communicate... But doesn't she

so not understand that this is not exactly what is expected of her?

Let her agents wait in the shadows, watch her, breathe the

Let her agents wait in the shadows, watch her, breathe in the slightest of her missteps. Why doesn't she speak? She never addresses them the slightest word... She lowers her head... She settles things, files

through emails or written notes...

But Betty is unaware that much else is expected of her.

Them, they've just never seen that... They've known leaders, no doubt, that they'll have pushed to the limit, pushed

to the exit for their incompetence (among other things). But they never had

to do to someone like Elysabeth Du Tonquin. More than ever she looks like a teenager. Looks like for them, a play or more precisely a sketch where this suspicious young woman would have obtained the bad role...

coffee machine, photocopier,

in offices. Instead of working, no, they spread their science on this woman, this stranger...

Because therein lies the problem here... They already have a hard time admitting their. Ardèche is struggling with an unprecedented wave of immigration... But if there is one thing that revolts them, it is

But if there's one thing that revolts them, it's people like , who come and smear their dirty paw on their territory... It's these foreigners from France that they can't stand... They were all born here , they grew up in this

particular and harsh landscape...and those who come from Paris or elsewhere, misery is unrolled at their feet.

***

- Does this girl still have a problem? Don't you think she's weird? That's how you succeed in competitions and zero skills... Souffle Mélanie

looked at his first application file.

_ Yes Yes ! (Shadow chuckles, revealing his long arms under his unraveling red sweater, but also long teeth taking the lead).

_I'm going to carry out my investigation... I'm going to talk to Jeremy about it at the head of the union... I don't like her... We're going to do as for Bernie... We're going to see her and we'll do that until to what we

have someone competent. We'll take them both down. And someone who comes from here above all... These Parisians give me the sheaf. At least Tesspeste is a real one from us.

Aimé returns to the office at this precise moment.

-Yeah, given her face and her skin color, I'd be surprised if she was a real real one from us.

-Who are you still spitting on? Because I'm Métis and I was born in Aubenas... And I'm from here, as well as my parents...

-What are you insinuating?

-We are talking about the Tespeste...

- I am not insinuating anything, I am observing...

Hm, so skin color must determine whether you're from here or not... That's stupid. You work here and there are no more racists than you. It's not cool for me.

- We're not talking about you, Aimé...

Don't take it like that...

She finishes filling out the green form and sighs, Mélanie is a complainer

except category..down Then higher) We want to bring them downboth.

-You are going too far. You haven't even given her time to arrive when you attack her like enraged mutts... She's just arrived. You have to give him time!

Melanie narrows her deep brown eyes.

-Which camp are you on, Aimé? That of the big rich or ours?

-We can't argue with you anyway. Ombrine give me this recipissé...

..But I am not urgent recipissés today? Why would it be mine... Ask Amira instead...

-You should have done it yesterday and the guy is waiting at the counter... He's vengeful.

Aimé does not wait for an answer. He puts the folder down and leaves, rolling his eyes.

- I thought he was with us? He turns his jacket... Wait, I'm going to grab her Amira... She's the one who's

picked up today. She must be still smoking or buying stuff on Zalando...

-Let me do Ombrine. I take care of it.

***

Today it started with the simple fact that Ely's locker was tagged. "Go back to Paris !!! 07 in force"

Is it normal?

No. Should that be reprehensible? Yes. However, she doesn't really react. She just takes out her embroidered fabric handkerchief (which

worth a fortune...) to make the inscription go away. One would almost want to shake her... In her office, she lets a few tears flow and immures herself in her

folders. She takes care to put the lock on her door...

After a few tens of minutes, it starts to drum. Elysabeth is frightened in her chair...

She doesn't dare open it... But it's because the Amira has strength... It makes the walls of the office shake. Almost backwards, the young redhead

ends up opening the door...

-Are you locked up??! Is this a joke? Already a leader must come to greet his agents and secondly he does not lock himself in! It is shameful !

I need an urgent signature for this receipt and I can't find Roger or Jérémie to change...

She hands him the piece of paper with disdain and aggression. Elizabeth is confused. She affixes her signature in a drowning of sweat and in a pool of tremors.

And the stamp?? You still don't know! In addition to not speaking, you do not masters very quickly!

Spit the other.

Elysabeth rushes to her office. Where's that damn stamp? feel the presence

on the other crazy behind her, makes her lose all her means.

Du Tonquin almost ended up

reach a point of no return. She wraps herself up more and more in her high bourgeois shell. It him

all that hurts, you mustn't believe That "the apex" as much as it besieges it. And that's worse than a dog biting its tail. Of course she would want to tell them what she thinks of them. That these are only scoundrels of a low social class. But she doesn't know

But she can't do it! She tried yesterday to train

but once at work, it remains blocked. His lips find nothing more to say...

***

Half past twelve rings on his watch

of inestimable value, given by his father for his twenty-fifth birthday. His phone also rings. Eva! And it's a breath of fresh air, or so she thinks. Isn't the air always polluted? -Betty! Are you playing dead or what? Or you have already found Prince Charming, naughty!

_I'm very busy... I'm...I...I'm glad you called me.

- Well you always had a small voice but there more than usual, everything is fine?

Ely has a hiccup... The tears will eventually break free again.

-It's hell here... I swear, I was sent to hell.

-Foreigners are behaving badly?

-Yes, quickly, but the worst are the agents... They are odious with me, Eve...

... They look like animals... I'm not lying to you.

-Wouldn't that be due to your petty bourgeois judgment Sista?

Silence.

Betty, I'm kidding, are you fine?... You're their boss, if they misbehave, you have the means to calm them down.

_I don't know how to do that...

-Are you going to let yourself be treated like s**t?" Betty. Please... How bad is it?

-These agents are worse than animals, Eve.

(She doesn't suspect that Mélanie is not far behind to spy behind the door, rebounding)

-And if not, are you going out?

-To go where ! It's misery in this department, in this city. There is nothing to do. It's death, it's a hell...

_Do you call mom from time to time? Don't kill our good daronne by drowning in silence... (a beat) Alright, I'm going to knock you off your feet. With Max we took action, at top speed (almost naughty little laugh)

-Eve, I'm afraid of what you're going to tell me...

-We did our threesome!! Yeah, yeah, we didn't hang around. It was the bomb! Seriously... A chick in bed, that changes. It's really not wrong. Then it was not anyone! Max wanted a blonde... No way. yuck! I chose a girl

I think she's a Colombian... Mama Mia... Poor Max, I left him out for a bit... But I think he has

loved to see me on another naked woman! (Eve speaks very quickly, excited. Ely doesn't have time to interrupt her. She clears her throat as if to show her interlocutor that she is thinking...)

I'm wondering Sista... I think

that I will start again but without Max. It's not cheating... It's another experience. Just once...

(Eve seems to forget she's on the phone. She tries to convince herself)

-Eve! Oh my god...don't talk to me

none of that... It's disgusting... Oh my god!!!

-If you would have been in my place, haha, not sure you would have found it disgusting...

_Eve, I'm talking to you about what I'm going through here and you you tell me filthy things, your turpitudes.

His tone is very dry, which is rare.

-My turpitude??

-You know that I don't like you talking about that! Why are you always talking to me about that! So you're just a debauchee! Eve! God will eventually punish you. Cheating on your boyfriend! Seriously !

- Stop saying boyfriend! i hate that word.. I really think it's high time you let kno about life big sister because it shows that you ignore the real debauchery ,the real one.....

Melanie remains incredulous. Already, she has just heard Elysabeth's voice but really... She doesn't know whose other

Zouave speaks, this "Eve" but it's very interesting... This Elysabeth is from the same gutter as the Tesspeste.

She said they were animals and the Ardèche stank of death! But what a b***h! The pompom? It's a curaton... Melanie goes down quickly

Melanie descends quickly

the stairs so as not to be surprised.

Du Tonquin has just hung up. The tall brunette, wrapped up in her big turquoise green fleece, goes from door to door to make her report and

make new noises.

***

A new day begins, another hell no doubt. Elizabeth is

seated in her office sipping mint green tea. She covers her ears so as not to hear the specimens below. and go

shouting at each other, insulting each other. Damn, so they only know how to do

this here... While she is preparing a note for a deportation file, Maud bursts into her office.

Nine o'clock has passed...

_ Elizabeth! You must come. The room is packed and Jeremy still hasn't arrived! Roger took his

week off and there is no one to ensure the back counter!!

In an Olympian calm, Betty

check his mailbox. No news from HR... She takes her time, a bit too much...

Maud raises it...

You must come back Guichet.

It's a stampede down there!

The young redhead brings her

thick hair back. She can't look Maud in the face.

She is imposing, this woman. She inhales... Come on Betty... It doesn't have to be that complicated. Normally, she was only behind the counter this afternoon.

_Jérémie don't...don't...shouldn't delay...Maud.

_I tell you that he is not there. He will not come ! Some are on the verge of jumping on us!! And we just opened to the public!!

_I...I...I was not informed of his absence.

-Haha because you think that at this hour, HR is working? No, at this time they drink coffee until ten o'clock, but other than that, we're the lazy ones... pfft.

Anyway, we don't care about that... You have to come. That's how it goes here... We don't procrastinate and bring our ass back. You hear them from here. It's gonna be a riot.

The Parisian pricks up her ears and concentrates.

-"I...I don't hear anything.

Elysabeth tries to hold her . for once. She would like them to arrive

to do without her for at least an hour... But the awful Amira turns up in her turn.

_ What the hell are you doing?!

Amira Skamai has eyes darker than the night, a real scoundrel. There's something appalling about her, thinks Du Tonquin. This woman scares him. His breathing hitches especially when Amira approaches. Damn, they all come back! But they don't care! Caroline, Melanie, Ombrine... It's misery...