For Cricri and I having spent Thanksgiving with Jojo, Tanka and their parents was like being adopted by this country we love. Getting our butts tanned didn't change that feeling, we both knew that we had deserved it, and would have got the same in France.
While studying for our bachelor's degree at St Mary we would return to their home for all major holidays, and their parents became our loco parentis. Between the Paddle Club of STM and the belt of their father we did very well, and graduated in two years instead of four.
Summer holidays were in France with Jojo and Tanka perfecting their French to be truly bilingual. They stayed with us and discovered that belt in French is la ceinture as our parents were their loco parentis.
Next was to be our masters. The four of us took the exam for the Institut Polytechnique Saint Mathieu de Paris. We were vacationing in Strasbourg the latest posting of our fathers. Tanka and Jojo's parents were visiting when we celebrated our success. Since our own fathers were to be transferred to the south of France it was decided that we would be staying with old friends of my papa.
We pulled long faces for adieu la liberté! We had dreamed of renting a small apartment near the boulevard Saint Michel, and spend afternoons at a Saint-André-des-Arts café with a street side terrace to watch the boys go by.
We discovered that Paris 16th is a very affluent and quiet neighborhood with tree lined streets. We saw schoolgirls wearing grey pleated skirts in front of an obvious private college, and they weren't little girls!
At the number indicated there was well trimmed rose bushes, and no car in the parking spot, only a tall lady dressed in fifty shades of grey. She greeted us, and introduced herself with telling that we should call her Aunty.
After having showed us the shed for parking our bikes she led us inside. We were introduced to Mademoiselle Odette, their old maid, and discovered that the ground floor furnished in a tasteful mix of classic and modern furniture is for a lounge, dining room, and an office plus the kitchen. We didn't visit the first floor, we were told that it is their floor, and that they have a guest room for our parents to be visiting.
"The third floor is yours, you have two large bedroom, a common room plus a full bathroom with a washer-dryer. You are to maintain these rooms, my maid isn't at your service, and you will help her and me with preparing the meals."
We said, yes Aunty in unison, and she added. "In my house girls wear skirts, and yes I have noticed that you do, but they don't wear jeans skirts with thighs and t.shirts. In your cupboards you will find proper attire, and should change asap!"
Having said that she left us. We decided that Jojo and I will share one of the rooms, while Tanka and Cricri will share the other one. We explored, and Jojo found a martinet behind the door of our common room. Cricri and I were mouths opened before telling our American friends. "That isn't a garden variety martinet!"
We heard a car being reared in the private parking spot. We had a look from our common room and saw a pristine vintage Citroen DS. A tall man in his early sixty's dressed in a brown cord suit stepped out of that automobile.
We hurriedly changed into the assigned skirts with grey knee high socks, and light colored blouses.
Liliane (Lili), Christiane (Cricri), Jolene (Jojo), and Tanka Rae (Tanka)
To be continued...
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