If someone had told me that Professeur Obnoxious was going to be my new neighbor, I would have told them it was a good joke. Except it was not.
Professeur Barnes was in a deep conversation with the mover, and had not noticed me yet. I just had to leave quietly and all would be fine.
However, my paper bag had another idea.
The bag containing my groceries ripped, its content spilling everywhere in a loud noise.
Everyone's attention was on me, and Mr. Obnoxious wasn't an exception.
An apple rolled to his feet, stopping just at the tip of his shoe.
Right now, I just wanted to hide in a tiny mouse hole and never see light again.
He bent down and picked it up, his perfectly ironed suit creasing as he did so.
He then proceeded to walk toward me, his brows furrowed, his face in a permanent scowl. He adressed me in french.
"Pick up your trash, I don't want the movers to injure themselves on an apple because of your incompetence" his tone was unforgiving.
The nerve of the man, had his bags never ripped before ? I was not the one at fault !
"I'm sorry Monsieur, I shall have a word with my paper bag and decide on what punishment is fit, we can't let him behave that way, I would not want him to inconvenience you further than that."
Take that in your face Professeur. I'll be the one who will have the last word here.
Well, that is, if he had not killed me before that, because if looks could kill, I would have already been dead and buried.
"Everyone with a brain could have seen, Mademoiselle, that your bag was overfilled. You should have used two bags for it not to rip." he stated.
Had he just insinuated that I didn't have a brain ? This infuriating man !
"Listen here/" he cut me off.
"I dont have the time for your antics, I have a moving to supervise. Just tidy this mess please, before there really is an accident.
I'll take that as a token of your apologies." he said while mentioning my apple, throwing it into the air before taking a bite and strolling into his appartment.
Had he just stolen my apple or was I dreaming ? And had he just eaten it when it had rolled on the floor sweeping dirt ? Hilarious.
Oh, how I hated this man with passion.
I had to go to my chambre to fetch a new bag and then came back to take all of my groceries in it. I checked to see if I had everything.
Well, save from my stolen apple that is, may it rest in peace.
But really, was this man so poor that he had to result to stealing from one of his poor student ?
Of course the answer was no ! The man had just moved in an extremely expensive place !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally home, I found the sweet confort of my bed again. This day had been hectic, it had been a while since I had been so busy. So busy that I had not thought of my torment for almost the whole day.
But I was left alone once again, and my thoughts turned sour.
I changed my outfit, it was too hot in this long sleeves shirt. I opted for my Hello Kitty pajamas.
My scars became visible once again.
They had healed quite nicely, but the pain was still there, as were the tremors. My forearm's tendons were too damaged, nothing could be done for them anymore.
I could slightly move my hand and forearm, lift a pen, but that was the extent of it.
My fingers that had once been skilled with virtuosity were now almost immobilized.
The part between my shoulder and elbow had not been injured, functionning as it did before.
According to my physiotherapist, I could maybe move with a semblance of normalcy in a year. Maybe. And if I did the exercices he gave me everyday.
But I would never be normal ever again.
I've had to adjust everything I did to my disability, because it was a disability.
But I hid it well, and no one could tell. That's the way I wanted it to be. I couldn't stand the look of pity people sent my way.
This look of pity I saw too many times in my musician family's eyes.
I left home two months ago. Unable to stand it anymore.
My father was a pianist and my mother a cellist, my little brother following in my father's footsteps.
I heard them playing music everyday after the accident, and it destroyed me, reminding me everytime of my inability to play ever again.
They made an effort not to talk about music during dinner time, but it had lasted no more than a week.
It was the only thing they could talk about without arguing.
It felt like I was not welcomed in my own family anymore, no more than a stranger. There was nothing binding us apart from music.
Music was their life, and that was a thing of the past for me.
So I left. My Mother was against it at first, she didn't want to let me out of her sight after the accident.
But then I told her.
I told her that I would kill myself if I had to hear music one more time. And she let me go.
They sent me money every month, paying for my rent and my medical expenses, as well as groceries. They weren't bad parents, they just didn't know how to care for me anymore.
I fell asleep on my bed, millions of thoughts clouding my head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was awoken by the unpleasant sound of vacuuming.
It was six in the morning.
Who the hell vacuumed at six in the
morning ?
Everyone knew our walls were as thin as paper. Hell, we could hear each other take a piss !
The only person I could think of was Professeur Obnoxious.
He was new and this had never happened before, ever.
Did he not have any respect for his neighbors ? It's common sense not to vacuum in the early morning !
I didn't even try to go back to sleep, as I knew it was a lost cause.
My first class was at nine and I had a lot of time to kill.
I got prepared for the day and went down the stairs, passing in front of his door.
It was surprisingly quiet, someone must have told him off. I would have payed to see that.
I had decided to take a stroll in the Jardin du Luxembourg, it was a truly beautiful sight at this moment of the year. All green, with various species of flowers blooming. The trees trimmed in all kind of shapes.
The Senate was situated at the extremity, a large pond in front of it, with tiny paper boats floating on the surface for children to play with.
I sat in a chair and closed my eyes, welcoming the warm sun rays on my face.
It was quite pleasant.
Until I felt something wet on my ankle.
I opened my eyes and looked down.
To say I was horrified would be an understatement.
A tiny little dog, a spitz with camel furr had his small hind paw raised, discharging a yellow fluid while looking at me straight in the eyes.
This dog had just urinated on me and I was completely and utterly mortified.
Did I look like a tree ? No !
I quickly searched for a tissue in my pocket, thanks the gods I had worn shorts today, that meant I just had to clean my skin and wouldn't have to spend the rest of the day in spoiled pants.
I thought the dog would have gone away by now but he sat down, still looking at me. Where was his owner ? I looked right and left, but no one was in sight.
The dog had a collar, and I hoped for this dog that his owner had taken his precautions.
I took the dog on my lap, light enough for me to lift him with only one arm. He was adorable, and he was really quite calm for a lost dog.
I took the collar in hand and tried to read the small writings.
Alléluia, there was a phone number ! And the dog's name was Caeser by the way. Quite strange for a dog's name if you ask me, the owner must be quite weird.
I called the number but I was redirected to the voicemail. I left a text saying I had found their dog and my location.
I would wait for thirty minutes. And if nobody called me back, then... I would have to call the pound. And I truly didn't want to.
Fifteen minutes passed, and still nothing. The little mutt had fallen asleep on my legs. I started to worry about his fate.
Maybe I could take him home with me ?
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A message from the owner.
I am on my way. Please wait for me.
It wasn't an abandonned dog, I felt relief flood into me.
I began wondering what his owner was like. I was sure that it was an old woman with glasses and her hair tied in a grey bun, walking with the help of a walker. The kind of old women who gave candies to the children they saw on the streets. My imagination was running wild.
Ten minutes passed and the dog began to stir. His eyes opened and his little nose began sniffing the air. All of the sudden, he jumped off my lap and began to run fast. I tried to run after him but damn was he fast for such a tiny thing.
I didn't want him to run away again after having told his owner I had found him !
Then he stopped, I was quite far away but from I saw, it was in front of a man. I tried catching up to them, quite tired after this sprint.
The nearer I went, the more this man seemed familiar. And then I saw why.
Holy shit.
The jardin du Luxembourg is a huge park in the middle of Paris!
I hope that you like this story so far!
I'll try to update two times a week!
Stay safe! ❤️
