The day before yesterday, Nanette and I wandered along the path you see below. Innocent enough isn't it?? Nanette loves the peace, the grasses and herbs growing at the side of the path and in the hedges and for the most part we meet no one there.
As a result of an experience there that day, I had to phone my friend Douchka and ask ' is this the 21st Century? is it 2012, the year that we are promised greater awareness, the year we become more conscious??.....I was sort of pinching myself if you like!! We had a good giggle as I told her why I asked these questions and what had happened.
Now , I am aware that there is a couple living there, who object to people passing their house ...which in the picture... is about half way down on the right . The reason is that this is supposed to be a ' private path' . Nanette and I live just across the road from the entrance at the bottom and it happens to be convenient for us from time to time.
Because we have been shouted at before, I tend to go extra quietly past their house hoping not to be noticed.
On this particular day however, we were coming up quietly, Nanette sniffing in the hedgerows when I saw Monsieur and Madam arrive ahead of us at the top of the path. Mon Dieu!!!! immediately ...on seeing us... they sprang into action. Monsieur ran towards us waving and shouting ' Monsieur, Monsieur...' ( I was wearing a cap ) . This gave me an edge as I corrected him as to my gender. He was not the slightest bit put off!! nor apologised!!. I knew his ' song' by heart so I just let it pass me by . What fascinated me was the speed at which Madam ran into the house and emerged with an enormous container of something....she was also ' singing'' her particular 'anthem'.
I quietly passed Monsieur ,( waving the plastic sack I carry in my pocket for clearing up her pooh...Nanette's I mean) but his nose was so close to the ground as he desperately searched for the signs of Nanette's unpardonable offence that he didn't see it .
Finally we arrived at the top of the path and Madam was carefully spreading liquid across the entrance to the path!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that it was bleach!!! At the same time ,she was screaming at the top of her voice and by now Nanette was beginning to shake.
I was beginning to shake internally with laughter bordering on hysteria....quite frankly Charlie Chaplin never got anywhere near it!!!! Externally however, I did my level best to listen ( apparently calmly and graciously ) to her rant.
Then she broke into English!! I was then able to stop her in her tracks by saying something..' Madam you speak very good English...' Just for a flash there was an ingratiating smile. This was my opportunity . I placed my hand gently on her shoulder and said how sorry Nanette and I were to have offended her. The wind dropped out of her like a stone into a well!! Something out of the New Testament came to my mind....' Agree with thine Adversary...'