The French Magnolia

Chapter 1: Summer of ‘38 Part 2

“What about we catch a flick? I will get you an ice cream.” Edmond was trying hard to twist her arm and talk her into going to the picture show. “What do you say, Giselle? Wouldn’t an ice cream sound good right now?”

Luce looked at me before giving in to a quiet chuckle. “Ice cream it is.” Then she made a serious face and turned to Edmond, “But I want two scoops and I don’t want to share with you!” Edmond just gave her a smile in return, kissed her forehead then turned on his heel and led us to the rear door. The three of us made our way toward the cinema and stopped at the ice cream parlor first. I got a cone with vanilla ice cream and Lucette got a small bowl with two scoops of strawberry. Despite her earlier warning, she fed Edmond the first bite and they shared the rest of the ice cream together.

At the cinema, we settled into our seats. Edmond sat between us and had an arm over Luce’s shoulders. I sat with my hands in my lap and waited for the picture to start.

“Ed, I need to use the washroom. I’ll be right back.” Luce got up from her seat and made her way out of the back of the room. Just as the curtain she walked through fell back into place, the cinema lights dimmed and the sound of the film reel being turned on was heard. Usually, before the pictures, there will be a cartoon or news bulletin of events going on around the world. It was on this screen I first saw pictures of the King of England, elephants in Africa, and this silly cartoon mouse from America. However, today there was a newsreel showing this German man. He was shown at times in a suit and surrounded by other men in military uniform with a band on their arms. On the band was this black insignia that looked like a twisted “x”. He had a short mustache and seemed to always be very dramatic in how he would talk to large groups of people. “That man makes me very nervous, Edmond. Is something bad coming?” Luce asked and I was so engrossed in watching the tape that I didn’t even realize she had returned to her seat.

“I don’t know, dear. I hope not. He is trying to help the people of Germany, but I don’t know if his intentions are as good as they think.”

I didn’t know much about politics as that was what men talked about in smoke lounges. The statements made on the screen spoke of this 'Hitler' wanting to take over the Sudetenland and something about the Jews in Germany. I did not understand all of it, but I knew that there was something almost evil about him. Before too long, the newsreel ended and the feature picture started.

I remember leaning against Edmond’s shoulder and watching the beautiful woman come on screen. She had a beautiful dress and this handsome man gave her roses before they danced. The next thing I knew, I heard my name being spoken softly. “ Giselle. Giselle…wake up silly girl.” My eyes fluttered open slowly and I saw Edmond’s face. He was smiling and laughing softly. “You fell asleep again. Do you even like coming to the pictures?”

“Mmhmm,” I mumbled softly as I stretched out and sat upright. “It just gets dark in here and I get so comfortable.”

“Well, let’s go home.” Edmond stood up first and extended his hand. Luce was waiting at the back of the room with her hand on the small of her back. She looked miserable but put on a smile as soon as she saw, I was looking at her.

We all headed home, had dinner, and went to bed after some evening reading. When I closed my eyes, lying in my bed, I thought again about the newsreel. It still made me anxious thinking about it and it took a while to fall asleep. To finally find some peace, I started humming to myself the song that the couple in the movie were dancing to. I fell asleep right afterward and didn’t wake up at all through the night.