Emerisa : The Eternal Light Community (ENG)

Introduction

"Madame?"

She snapped out of her stupor, blinking as she slowly regained awareness of the surrounding world. The stewardess stared at her, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she waited for an answer. Rose flickered her eyes again.

"Sorry, I was somewhere else... did you want to?" she asked a little stunned.

"Would you like a blanket for the rest of the flight?"

"Oh... um... yes!" she quipped, reaching out to grab the thin cloth that would keep her warm for the night. She'd been sitting there for several hours already, on this plane flying almost empty. And while others were getting up to stretch their legs or use the lavatory, Rose hadn't moved from her seat. She finally folded up her tray table to give herself enough room to stand up. In the corridor, she came across a man smiling at her, who kindly stepped aside in a row of empty seats to give her room to pass. She thanked him, then headed for the bar.

The advantage of long-haul travel was that there was always a place to relax on the plane. The brunette presented herself at the counter and pressed the little bell to call the barmaid. As soon as the bell rang, a dark-haired young man rose from behind the counter with surprising speed, startling the young woman.

"Excuse me, did I startle you?" the young man asked.

Rose looked at him. The boy had to be slightly younger than her, somewhere between 21 and 25. His eyes were slanted and his hair an ebony black that reminded Rose of Asian countries. She smiled at him at last, shaking her head, as if to reassure him.

"No, it's all right. I didn't think anyone was here." she said shyly.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"Do you have a menu? I haven't had time to..."

"Yes!" cut in the young man, eagerly. He handed her the menu, waiting to take her order. The brunette thanked him and concentrated on the menu before pointing to a cocktail she liked, made with lychee and hibiscus juice.

"I'll have one, please."

No sooner said than done. The boy began mechanically. He poured and mixed with such ease that Rose found herself hypnotized by the maneuver. He smiled, happy to be doing a job that Rose would have hated.

"How long have you been doing this?" she asked.

"I started in January. So about three months. But my father ran a bar in Paris, so I was able to learn by watching him."

"He must be proud of you today."

"Immensely, yes. But what about you? What are you going to do in France?"

"I needed to change my life. Let's just say it's great living on an island like Australia, but I have a lot of bad memories there... so..."

The waiter looked at her, interested in her words as he poured the contents of the shaker into a glass filled with crushed ice.

"And why France?" he questioned.

"I received a brochure. About a camp in the French Alps. The advantage is that you pay nothing. Apart from the plane ticket, I mean. But once there, nothing at all."

"What? Wait are you sure this is in France?" he laughed.

"Yes. It's like a sort of... village? Everyone has a role, which they have to fulfill on a daily basis. That's why everything is free. It's a kind of participatory village."

The young man nodded, smiling as he advanced the cocktail in front of Rose.

"Well, bon voyage!"

"Thanks... how much do I owe you?"

Once she'd paid for her drink, Rose carefully carried it to her seat, where she sipped it while Dionne Warwick sang in her best voice through her headphones.

When she awoke several hours later, it was already daylight, and looking out of the porthole against which she was sitting, she saw that the earth was now visible. France lay several thousand meters below her, so it wouldn't be long before they landed.

Her suspicions were confirmed when an audible signal told passengers to fasten their seatbelts for the descent to Lyon. She complied, nervously chewing her minty gum. Rose had always dreaded planes, and this was the first time she'd been on one for so long. So it was with relief that she stepped onto the tarmac, several minutes after landing.

Waiting for luggage always took a little time, so she took the opportunity to call her mother, to whom she had promised to call as soon as she arrived. With the time difference, it must have been around 11pm at home. The smartphone beeped and she soon heard her mother's voice.

"Mom?"

"Rose, darling, you got there all right?"

"Yes, I'm here. I'm waiting for my luggage and then I'm going to find my rental car."

"Do you understand anything when people talk to you?"

Rose looked around, afraid someone might understand what she was saying. "Um...no, actually, I haven't really tried to talk you know. I haven't had a chance yet."

"I hope they'll be nice. Do they speak English in your village?"

"Yes, some of them do. Besides, I can always learn!"

Her mother sighed. "I'm not reassured. Are you sure it's reliable?"

"Of course, Mom... you're worrying for nothing. I assure you, it's just a village."

"A village with very Little House on the Prairie customs, Rose."

"Mom!" the young woman snapped. "That's the way things used to be."

"And that's how people used to die faster!"

"Okay, I've got to hang up."

"Rose, don't be mad at me."

"I am not mad at you... I really have to go mom...". Rose's voice was softer now, though she didn't understand how her mother could have such ideas.

"I love you, darling. Call me or text me, okay?"

"Okay. Love you. Bye."

No sooner had she hung up than her huge khaki suitcase appeared. She had a hard time pulling it off the carpet, but with the help of a man (who, she was sure, her mother would have liked) she was able to get out of the terminal. Lyon airport was quite small. There were a few stores and restaurants, but they were nothing like Amsterdam and its shopping mall. So she found the car rental stand without too much trouble. It was located right at the entrance, surrounded by huge bay windows that gave her a view of a parking lot larger than the airport itself. After checking in and filling in the paperwork as indicated, she positioned herself behind the wheel of a small, unassuming car, which she would return to the nearest Hertz store in the village.

Before turning the key, Rose reverified the various pieces of information that had been sent to her by e-mail.

"Dear Rose,

We're delighted to welcome you to the Emerisa village for what is, for the moment, an indeterminate period. As the village is located in the French Alps, we recommend warm clothing for the harsh winters, as well as lighter clothes for the warmer summers. Emerisa is a small village not indicated on a map or GPS. We invite you to drive to the town of Les Houches, near the church, where Mireille will be on hand to welcome you and drive you back to Emerisa. Your loaner vehicle will be returned by another villager.

We look forward to seeing you on March 3, at 6.30pm.

Kind regards,

Seraphim."

Behind the wheel of the Toyota, Rose turned the key and set off in the direction of the Alps for what seemed a longer journey than the flight.