Film of Love

Quarante Et Un

The clock's hands landed, finally, at 12:40 pm. I arranged my belongings and left the room and went down. There I saw a lady in her padded jacket sitting in the hood of her, let’s say new(?) car. I didn’t even recognize until the shoes she is wearing is the shoes that I got her for her birthday. I rolled my eyes and went to her.

I knocked at the car and she glanced in my way, so I just said. “Hey!”

“Hello!” she replied and hugged me. Whoa! Warmth! I felt as I hugged her back.

“Long time no see!” I jokingly said, but, it long since I saw her as she went back to her family and left me here in Paris.

“So…what are we…or we should be doing rather?” Dem asked. She looks around and suggests that we should talk inside the car and someone might get the towing car and tow her car, she just parking temporarily.

“I have no idea that you’ll be arriving no time this day,” I started, pulling the seatbelt and fastening it on me as she did the same and started the engine and we go somewhere she doesn’t even know. “You and I are lucky that my new friend, Tine, has a packed lunch,” I added and she just nodded but then stopped the car and glanced at me.

“So…where are we going anyway?” she finally asked. I just shook my head and face-palmed myself with her cute stupidity. I gesture her to come near to me and flicked her forehead faster like flash. She jolted from her seat from the sudden attack.

“Ow! That f*****g hurts!” she moaned in pain and I just muffled a peal of laughter in my seat. She gave me a death glare but I just reciprocate it with my innocent face.

“What?” I innocently asked. “Anyways, we should get going before the police will get here.” I added as we started to go to one of the restaurants near the company—which is the ‘Frais et Salé’—it’s a recommendation from Tine, my co-worker because she just find out that I am a country girl.

“Do you think it will be good?” she asked me out of curiosity and I honestly replied. “This will be my first time going out or eating outside the apartment or the company.”

“Company?”

“Ah! yes, the company has its cafeteria for the employees,” I explained and she nodded. We don’t know the way so we just used Waze to get there, safely.

“Wait—”

“Why? What is it this time?” I asked as I look at her confusedly.

She scratches her cheeks and continued. “What do you mean by first time going out of the apartment…like…did you just spend your time in your room?”

“Well…er…I mean we did…only one time—just one time!” I confessed.

“Oh!! Who is it?” she asked. “you said ‘we’, so who is it?”

“Well, you know him…it’s Tristan.” I looked at her nervously but I didn’t get why my heart start to beat faster out of nervousness when I did nothing wrong…like she knows I am his friend and he is my friend also.

“oh.” She sounds disappointed. “Anyways, how's your life in here?” she asked as she is trying to leave the topic to start a new one.

I started awkwardly but still answered her. “Uh…it’s pretty nice and I am adjusting pretty quickly here.” I looked everywhere but not her. “How about you? Did you guys celebrate it so much that you forgot to post a picture?” I said teasing her, lightening up the mood a bit—but her aura doesn’t seem to change—her eyes seem to get much colder and sad. The atmosphere turns dusty gray and silence falls over us.

“Is…there…something wrong?” I gulped as I asked cautiously, preventing hurting her feelings anymore and I also want her to feel that she is not obliged to tell me what happened if she wants to keep it to herself—but the more you keep it the more the pressure will take over you until you can’t handle it anymore.

“Well…Uhm…I’m always here for you,” I just said and remind her that there is always an ear and a room for her to open up to me. after some time, we ended up in front of the said restaurant. I thought it is that near and I think it gets more or less an hour to get here.

“Shall we?” I asked the silent Dem and she gestured a yes. I buckle up and open in. We are very lucky or is just that we just came late, the lunchtime is about to end. My lunch break is over in an hour or 2. I think we are given an unrealistic time break, well, we are the employees who have a deadline on this day or in the last day of the weekdays. This is the good part of being a screenwriter, we have so much time in our hands and we can also decide where we can work to get more ideas—it can be in a museum, a library, a theater, or even in any public places.

Well, they also told us that this week and the next one will be called a “Ce Que Tu Vis, Tu L’écris” or “What you experience, you write it” self-train program of division 1. We need to go out and experience being what others do in a day. Here we can gain experiences and hopefully, we can apply them as we develop and write the characters and build the so-called film.

We get a table for two, near the window, as I looked around few people are eating away from us so I decided to get the glass window location. “Welcome to Frais et Salé! What are your orders ma’am?” the crew asked as she give us a menu. She no needs to wait because I am craving some pasta and thankfully they have a variety of it.

“I want Pistou Linguine,” I ordered and look at Dem who is still browsing, and ended up with Pissaladière Pasta and we added more as we go on, feeling our stomach with good foods. We ate peacefully and after we have the remaining food left and I began to open the topic again.

“Dem, is there something bothering you?” I asked, I am a bit hesitant but I need to know if she is feeling all good or not.

She nodded and replied. “My dad is in the hospital. He was a victim of a car accident.” I gasped at the sudden news.

“Oh no! I’m sorry!” I apologize. It was so sad and I don’t know how to act now.

“We are still investigating about it and they told me a sort of good news,” she said. I nodded my head as I listen attentively. “They have a witness who saw the scene.”

“Oh wow! That’s great!” I said. I sighed about the thing she just said. The time is getting to an end so Dem and I will go back again to the company and as I promised I gave her the map and list of places she might want to visit to clear off her mind for a meantime, while I’ll be working my ass out in the company again.