May Memoir: Ca va? Stories from Rural Life in Southern France, Chapter 30: The 11th

MaY MEMOIR!

Day 31

Here we are- the last day of May Memoir and the last installment of

Ca va?  Stories from Rural Life in Southern France.

Chapter 30: The 11^th

In the last minute frenzy before the wedding, everything fell into its perfect place and the square took on a mythical feeling as if weddings like this haven’t happened in centuries.  Madame Gousse snuck away temporarily to feed the foxes, and Chantal broke character by making an impromptu speech.  We danced on Christophe’s homemade dance floor to “A Vive en Rose” and watched joyously as everyone joined us to “Sweet Home Chicago”.  The traditional wedding cake, a piece montee was served after midnight, and Christophe proudly popped one bottle of Champagne after another.  Family and friends seamlessly stepped in as bartenders, servers, cooks, and dishwashers and the party lasted until the sun started to peak over the mountain crest. 

I have certain memories that will stay with me far beyond standing next to Christophe saying “I do”; but of all of them, the most memorable one is the two of us sitting on a bench as our last guest headed off to bed.  After all the chaos, drama, commotion, and surges in stress, we were able to find ourselves again, and the calm was reassuring.  This is not far from where it all began, but sitting in front of our house, it is the point from where it will all continue.

 “We did it honey”, I whisper to him.  “We did it.”

“Yes, we did”, he replies with a smile.  “We did”.

And with those final words of the night, Christophe crosses the square and unplugs the barely visible overhead string of lights.  Then he whispers in my ear, “and it was magnificent”.