It was a lovely summer's day when I sat down at a small French Cafe. 
The waitress came to take my order, a large cognac  and a beer. 
I didnt even look at the waitreess but as she turned to go I caught a glimpse of  her shapely thighs. 
I asked her if she was busy, she came and sat down beside me..........
 
As she sat, the look of confusion slowly inched away from her expression, a smile replaced it. 
A hint of recognition, a smile, the eyes sparkled. 
She still looked as stunning as I remembered her the last time we met four years ago..................'
Peter' she said.  'Yes Michelle it is me'.
 
She gazed into my eyes, here deep blue eyes,
those eyes I had seen a thousand times in my dreams were once again in front of me. 
She  outsreched her hand and placed in in mine, wa sat there, not speaking,
memories flooding back to when we last met.  My senses were numb...............

 

She gazed into my eyes, here deep blue eyes, those eyes I had seen a thousand times in my dreams
were once again in front of me.  She  outsreched her hand and placed in in mine,
wa sat there, not speaking, memories flooding back to when we last met.  My senses were numb...............
 
'You never did tell me why you left', I blurted out.  We had been lovers for five years and  we engaged.  
She left during the night and I never saw her again. 
Those lonely days and nights sat there not knowing why she had left, where she was or if she was safe. 
I could feel a sdaness within her, she squeezed my hand tighter and started to say '
I just had.............' , then looked over at the cafe door and stood up, ' I have to leave'she said,
'it is not safe here', she started to walk away, then turned round and pushed a piece of paper in my hand,
then ran back into the cafe.............

I ran into the cafe after her, but she had vanished, just as she had four years ago. 
I enquired as to whether anyone had seen Michelle, 'Je ne sais pas' was the only response I could get. 
Settling my account I rushed out of the cafe.
 
I left the cafe behind me and walked along the canal, the stench of the polluted water
coupled with the smoke belching out of the iron furnace made me nausious. 
I stopped to try and clear my  head and gather my thoughts.

Frantically I looked around, no one in sight, no means of meeting the deadline. 
I ran along the canal and over the wooden footbridge, an od man was slowly edging his way towards me. 
I shouted 'monsieur, mosnieur!'.  Eventually I caught up with the old man and asked him '
where is the nearest telephone'? , 'monsieur, je ne comprend pas' he said. 
I put my hand to my ears' t.e.l.e.p.h.o.n.e' I said, 'phone' 'par;ez vous', 'yakety yak',
I babbled like a damented lunatic.  The old man looked at me and said' vous voulez une telephone?,
subsitance marchant le long de ce chemin deux kilometres et sn dessus le passe gauche et
juste le magasin de cagge, vous ne pouvez pas le manquer'. 
I desparately tried to remember my school boy French,
damn I wish i had spent less time looking at my tutor's legs!.

 

It was 20:45 when I finally found the phone box.  I dialled the number and waited for the call to connect. 
It seemed to ring forever,  Just as  I was bout to hang up a female voice replied,
'hello' she said, 'who is speaking?'  'It is Peter I said, is Michelle there?'
'No', came the solemnt reply', 'hold on she has left a message for you,
'Peter I am very sorry, please do not attempt to contact me again, I will never forget you!'
 
I stood there shellshocked, I let the phone slip out of my hand and ontothe floor, my senses numbed,
my hopes shattered.  I trudged out of the phone booth and re-traced my tracks
along the ricketty wooden bridge and back along the canal to the main road. 
I was walking in  adaze, the noise of the traffic sledgehammered through my brain. 
Stepping out into the road, I didn't see the approaching Taxi.  I recall being thrown up in the air........
I gathered the telephone was two kilometers away, pasrt a coffee shop, on the left.
 
I started runnin, 'merci monsieur, c'est tres gentile de ta part, I screamed as
I left the startled old man standing there..............
 
I needed a cigarette, pulling out the packet from my shirt pocket,
a piece of paper fell to the ground.  It was the piece of paper MIchelle had given me back at the cafe. 
I unfolded it, scanning the letters with my eyes, 'call me at 20.00' 
and a phone number was  all that was written. 
 
I looked at my watch, it was 19.58............

When I eventually came round, some 3 weeks later, I found myself staring at a white ceiling;
 my head was spinning, my mind confused and my body aching.  The noise ringing in my ears
transpired to be the voices of the medical staff at the local hhospital. 
One in psarticulare grabbed my attention, a female voice, soft, seductive and vaguelly familiar.
 
I slowly turnedinto the direction of the noise, I was stunned, 'Michelle' I shouted. 
I jumped out of the bed, ripping of the tubes that were attached to me,
dropping all the equipment on the floor and tripped head first into her bosom.
 
SLowly I eased myself upright, i gazed into her blue eyes.  My hands tenderly caressed he face,
'Michelle' I eventually said before once more losing consciousness......

 

maybe to be continued....