She had to hand them over the Reverend
so as he could keep them safe in a safe place.
Far from the prying eyes of the Gendarmerie, which now
fixed abode in her villa.
The documents were: The will and testament and the ...
Count Ladurées DIARIES AND MEMORIES.
Edith the little nightingale of Paris,
followed the whole story from the roofs and windows of Ville Lumière.
Commissioner C. Monet, holding
his cup of steaming coffee,
he entered the study of Count Ladurée.
The room was large and lightly lit,
he had to open the heavy curtains
to filter the daylight.
As soon as the light lighted the room,
the commissioner found himself in a place outside of the known world. As if by a gate, he entered in the world of impossible things.
The walls were covered with books, then open maps, itineraries, meaningless codes,
open books thrown here and there.
A large globe all written with pen
with a firm hand of Count Ladurée,
with sea routes and land routes.
In Count Ladurées studio
there were things never seen before.
Being there among his things was like traveling without moving and watching his paintings;
it was like flying away.
Commissioner C. Monet placed on the plate
an old vinyl record.
Jazz! Only Jazz!
And the best, just to be clear!
Alone, in Count Ladurées empty room. That day C. Monet traveled far into heavens he did not know.
In some ways he also managed to fly
among the things that the wind and Nature
led him to connect together.
So, smells became light musical memories ... And jazz! ... Only Jazz!
Commissioner C. Monet saw himself as a child, in front of the Sea, in an infinite world to learn and investigate.
Meanwhile, in the stable, tender was the night.
Nature covered its primordial role
of only mother and unequivocal destiny.
Children grew up in those days with that climate that leads from winter to spring,
without realizing it ...
That slow and imperceptible climate that let it pass and blossom, which gives birth and then let the flowers grow. At that time Mother Nature gave everything to the two children!
Hélène the white cow with black spots
was a midwife to the baby and mother and wise grandmother to Mary Jane.
Thomas & Bernhard were their naughty
cheerful friends, a fantasy to be discovered.
Faust the dog and Antonin the horse
had the role that a father and a grandfather have in a family of human beings.
That's all... In such a big house, like Nature itself.
Over time, Mary Jane
began to understand the personality of every single animal,
as she had expected.
By developing this knowledge,
she was able to interact with each animal
without ever offending them in their personal character.
Since, at first glance, all cows seemed to her identical,
so as all sheep and chickens.
But it was not that simple
as the distracted gaze said.
All animals were different from the others,
both in features and character.
Mary Jane, who was now a small woman,
had learned to observe to learn.
Count Ladurée, instead,
had taught her to wait.
Thus, following her primal instinct,
that which Nature had given her at birth,
Mary Jane learned to interact with every animal and to elicit their soul and essence.
It was hard to get along with Bernhard the mouse.
Perhaps the tests made on him, his friends or relatives in the labs,
had altered his soul and his very conception of life.
Bernhard Blues was a touchy mouse.
He was offended or deeply resented
on something that nothing seemed to others.
He could find refuge in his own little world that the others never saw,
he was on hold, just waiting and
playing his Blues.
Bernhard lived in a dump.
But it was his dump. Only his!
Mary Jane had to be his friend in order to understand his secrets,
because she well knew how to understand him;
One day when everyone was out and
spring began to cast its colors,
Mary Jane approached Bernhards dump and
whispered with a light voice like a jazz song brought by the wind:
Its spring out of there, come with me, Bernhard!
Lets have some fun through the flowery meadows!
I know the smells and sometimes with my eyes closed I sense the colors.
I'm tired! I want to sleep! I'm sorry!
The leaves are moving in the breeze and the air needs to tell many stories;
Bernhard, youre not tired!
Come with me out there to see and feel.
I'm tired!
And I dont like you too much!
Bernhard said truthfully.
It doesn't matter! Touchy Mouse! Come outside, the world is all full of colors!
Im not a Mouse! Im Bernhard Blues! Stupid pretentious little girl!
Frickin mouse, overcome your pain!
Just after, youll gain!
Mary Jane said rhyming and smiling.
- Come out and let's play
impossible flowers!
I know all the smells and sometimes
with my eyes closed I sense the colors.
You any good at it?
4
After recommending to Reverend Dumas, to take great care of the documents handed over and not to show them to anyone,
never under any circumstances,
Madame Tussauds, took on her fur coat
and said:
When this story is over, you will receive a reward
for your current and past services,
do not worry, Reverend!
So saying, she greeted the Reverend Dumas with a sharp handshake and headed home.
Commissioner C. Monet was waiting for her and she said to herself to remain calm.
Actually, the commissioner was in the Counts studio, but among all the things to be investigated,
he had completely forgotten about Madame Tussauds and her false maladies.
Edith the little nightingale of Paris, followed the whole story
from the roofs and misted windows of Paris.
The cup of coffee was on the desk,
rested and forgotten, now cold.
Rolling his right mustache, the commissioner flipped through the documents, books and manuscripts,
while sitting at Count Ladurées desk.
Returning home from the service door,
Madame Tussauds sneaked into her bedroom, without anyone seeing her;
she put on her nightly dressing and messed up her hair quickly.
Good morning, Mr. Commissioner!
She said, faking a yawn, while entering Counts studios door.
Good morning Madame.
In the meantime, I've taken the liberty to take a look.
Curiosity is a defect to us poor Policemen!
No problem, take your time.
Did you find anything of interest?
Yes, very interesting I would say.
Yes, very interesting I would say.
Count Ladurée seemed to be a genius! At least, from what I can guess.
I think he was dealing with alchemy and mesmerism, not black magic, Madame!
Well! What difference does it make! Even the devil is called by many names!
Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Demon, etc. ...
Unfortunately for you,
my curiosity leads me to know
even about things that do not concern me.
And it isn't quite the same thing. Madame.
It will seem a detail of little value to you, but for me it is not so!
However, I have to come back often in this studio; there are many things I still have to understand and these things could bring us to the little girl and the newborn!
Of course, Commissioner, come every day or when you want.
Indeed, I would like you also to come on the last Sunday of the next Summer,
I'm having a party with a surprise for my birthday.
You are hereby formally invited
among the honored guests.
Thank you, happy birthday then, I'll gladly.
Investigations permitting, of course!
Although it seemed strange to Commissioner C. Monet thinking of a birthday party and dancing in those particular circumstances.
When an eleven-year-old girl, who is the birthday womans granddaughter, and an unknown baby boy escaped without leaving a trace and without an apparently valid motive for doing that gesture.
Even if the commissioner found it strange,
he still decided to attend the party,
when it was time to go.
Commissioner C. Monet
had accepted the invitation without blinking an eye.
Especially to understand certain things he was carrying around in his head ... Strange ideas!
Moreover, it was said for years and throughout Paris about the great parties at Ladurée House.
It was told of dances and glamour, food, and the impeccable lady of the house.
Madame Tussauds, queen of gossip
and Parisian social life.
Commissioner C. Monet wanted to understand
the complicated full facts.
It was all about that with him.
In the meantime, in the stable, Mary Jane
was still trying to persuade Bernhard to come out of his dump.
Come on, Bernhard! Come out! ...
I need some advice! I beg you! Please!
What advice? ...
Bernhard the mouse asked intrigued.
Lets go a little through the meadows,
its important to me!
Ok! But I dont like you anyway!
And neither do I! ... Are we going?
Thomas will stay with the baby, along with the cows! ... Let's go!
Bernhard said very determined.
Now, you came to ask me something.
I wanted some advice from you! Want to listen carefully?
Ok! I'm all ears!
The friendly rodent said, dropping to the ground to laugh as a fool.
Bernhard, dont be stupid! This is a serious matter! Very serious!
But so saying, also Mary Jane got a laugh and she wasnt able to stop.
They laughed out loud together until they cried for a stupid silly thing.
And just like that, they became
true and great friends.
There was a bright sun that morning and
the green meadows seemed to glow
of stars and crystals.
As the dew glinted
along their way,
Mary Jane asked Bernhard to accompany her to Paris.
I need clothes and I have an absurd hunger! ... I'm tired of eating
milk and eggs!
The little girl said with her eyes glittering like the green fields around them.
Alright! We will leave tomorrow morning at sunrise and Thomas will come with us.
The others will take care about the baby. Ive a lot of friends in town and I would love to go with you.
Bernhard said with quite a knowing smile.
Thomas says you know many things
about my father and that you are very touchy! I think that's true!
I'm just a little girl and if there were any mistakes in my family,
I just dont think thats my fault.
I'd like to know about my Father and
my Mother, thats all!
Bernhard grabbed Mary Janes hand,
led her to the shadow of
a large chestnut tree.
The two walked meeting the sun,
in an absurd frame.
A backlit picture where:
A little girl with bright blond hair,
who goes away on her back, bent on one side.
Like a tired and shabby old lady,
holding a little mouses hand.
Walking by his side,
towards the light of the East.
What an absurd scene!
The great ones and the unimaginative ones would say.
But so it was!
5
It was a warm sunny Saturday morning,
Paris had woken up in the scent
of heated butter from the boulangeries and
in the fragrance of freshly baked baguettes and croissants.
The light is reflected and split
into so many colors in the windows of shops,
as a good wish for that Sunday feast day.
Mary Jane seemed hypnotized
in seeing people and smelling in the air
all those tasty scents,
which she had almost forgotten.
Thomas and Bernhard followed her as two small shadows, like guardian angels,
along the low sidewalks of Ville Lumière.
Mary Jane seemed lost to follow with her eyes and with all her five senses,
the joy, the frenzy and the daily beat of life she did not know yet.
She could see life in bystanders, people and
among the kisses of the lovers.
In the light of her first free morning,
within the sweetest city in the world.
It was a stunning Saturday morning
in the sky above Paris.
Everything seemed perfect in the Universe
and in the flow of daily things.
A beautiful spring day which would donate millions of stars when the evening would have dressed it in black and brilliant stars.
At Ladurée House, Madame Tussauds
looked like a crazy hysterical.
She went roaming the halls, yelling at all the servants, with unbearable and raspy voice,
like a nail scratching the blackboard
in the empty classroom silence.
A sour note in the perfection