Travelling

Meeting Juan had been an accident, something that should not have happened.  As Ted stormed out of my life in a fire of hatred, the small restaurant around me went still.  I felt myself go warm as I looked at all the stunned faces, were they blaming me for his outburst? Here’s what had happened?

Ted and I had only been seriously dating six months when he suggested that we go travelling together.  The thought of skipping from one country to another sounded fun. Much better than working for a communications company talking to disgruntled customers all day.  I had told my boss where to stick his job and agreed to spend time with Ted on the open road.   This is not what it looks like in the films, they are just Hollywood make believe, this was real!

Ted

From Teds map reading skills to the Sat Nav taking us into fields. To aeroplanes not leaving the airport on time, to the crowded planes and miserable crying children.  From the boredom of the airports and not all are as pleasant as London Gatwick. To the cold rotten food in the restaurants.  This was not a romantic story with a happy ending for me and Ted.  The arguments had got worse as the weeks had gone on. He no longer liked to hear me laugh or make a joke. Suggesting we go back to England had been met with the fact that we were here to see the world.

Our time in Greece had been fun, but both of us had ended up in a swimming pool more then sightseeing.  The intense heat was incredible.

However other places hadn’t been so easy! Ted was interested in the history of places and reading every information sheet about it.  I’m happy just to listen and look, after months of travelling, I was ready for months of sleep.

The Rue du’ Canard

After a traumatic drive to find tonight’s restaurant, once more finding a muddy field before finding the ‘Rue du’ Canard’ car park, which consequentially was busy.   I was now sat here in a silent French restaurant alone.  My bags and passport were in a dingy hotel and I’m sure Ted has taken the car.  Watching the ducks wandering around, I wondered for a fleeting moment if they end up as dinner.   Through my tears I giggled to myself.  Ted would hate it that I’m giggling.  This was not a funny moment. Stuck in France alone, what now?  I could see the umbrellas suspended from wires outside, adding to the ambience of the restaurant, but I’m not sure about the ambience of duck poop.

As the waiter brought me a glass of wine, I looked at his smiling face realising that Ted had also left me the bill. I thought again of the ducks and now my giggling turned to sobbing.  Talking in broken French he was not understanding me. Gesticulating about the food and the wine and I think the lovely restaurant, I could feel myself sinking.  Could this trip get any worse?  As I sat, I could feel the eyes upon me, how was I going to get out of this one?

Help

As a man appeared talking French, I didn’t know what he had said, but he appeared official. As I followed him out, I saw his car with Gendarme written down the side.   Looking up at the fancy umbrellas I just wanted to go back to England, back to my job that I had hated so much.  As he pushed me into back, I was not sure what I had done, but I didn’t know the French to argue and certainly couldn’t afford to pay the bill in the restaurant.

The Gendarmerie

Reaching the police station, I was offered an Interpreter. A smart dressed man, possibly mid 30s with brown short hair and a friendly smile, who introduced himself as Juan.  He explained why I was now sat in this busy Gendarmerie.  The restaurant had phoned the police due to Teds outburst and then I struggled to keep a straight face at what happened next. As Ted had walked out, he had pulled down two of the pretty umbrellas, then had run over some ducks as he sped out of the small car park.  They were not actually wanting me, they wanted to know where Ted might have gone and who he was.  Obviously, a man with quite a temper!

I explained our plight and our travelling.  I told him how we are not getting on and I just want to go home to England.  Then told him the address of the dingy hotel where he might find the hire car and Ted.

My time travelling was not the story I was expecting to be retelling, but it did have a happy ending.  The police found Ted and charged him for the restaurant bill and fined him for killing the ducks and wrecking two umbrellas.  They found my bags and helped book me on a plane back to England. Juan then drove me to the airport.  I was relieved to say goodbye, despite leaving Juan, who had been my saviour in this story and I have to admit was rather nice to look at.    Thankfully Ted was not with me, and I would be glad to never see him again.

Travelling and Juan

The world of Social media it is now small! Travelling is good but there is so much that can be seen without the risk of ending up in a foreign police station.  As I turned on Facebook, I could see I had a new friend request.  Wondering who it was, I thought of the many wierdoes who had tried to add me and I’d sent straight to the bin.  Opening it my heart jumped, it was Juan, looking as handsome and friendly as ever.  Was this strange? Should I add him?  Thinking what the heck, I clicked accept.

As messenger popped up, I could see his messages.  He was apologising for messaging me but was coming to London soon and wanted to know If I would like to meet.  I sat not knowing what to say, I did really like him, but was this real? or some random wanting a place to stay? Thinking, who knows where this could lead, I messaged back, Okay.

There are restaurants with fancy umbrellas in the UK, but as long as there are no ducks; and no insistence on reading every piece of tourist information, maybe meeting Juan could be fun.

Written for Write the story prompt on Writers Unite

For more see – Is there intelligent life somewhere else in the universe? – written for Writers Unite