Welcome to L.A.

Back home as a stranger

"... Yeah, we arrived at the destination... How was the trip? Long, but interesting... Yes, interesting. I'm sitting next to a cute couple. I took a picture of them on her cell phone... Yeah, of course by her lock screen! I'm not... Yeah exactly... Hey, would you mind if I called you back later? The landing has been announced before you called and I have to hang up... Prefect, dear, talk to you later!"

A foreign voice woke me up. Clear, young, but older than mine.

"Did you say that the landing has been announced?" She looks at me and smiles. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to listen to your conversation. I just woke up anyway." She laughs and smiles again.

"It's totally fine! Actually, it's written here, on the screens, that it'd be announced soon. Cell phone usage is forbidden earlier today before the landing announcement. I don't know why though."

"Thanks to you, I can shut down mine." I'm making sure that it's done while she's staring at me who's still laying on Dan.

"Before you ask, I did take a picture of you. You seem like soul mates... it's unforgettable. For how long have you two been together?" What?

"We... aren't actually." She looks surprised." To be honest, we met two days ago." She can't believe it.

"Are you serious?! You look like you've known each other for so long! During the trip, I was reading, but couldn't help but overhear what you said. He really trusts you on every level, that's amazingly rare. He's already falling for you... do you know that?"

"Not really. I'm studying brains and I don't even know when it is real or not..." I'm staring at my screen to avoid her gaze ashamed.

"Well, I wish I had a start like that in my last relationship." She circles nervously her lonely finger ring with her fingers as if a ring was still there.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Just think that if it happened it was meant to happen. Otherwise, you'll never be happy again, haunted by guilt or whatever negative feelings you can have." She smiles sadly.

"You're right. Thanks for caring about a stranger." She hands me her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too! Is it your first time in Montreal?"

"Yes, it is. I'm actually on duty, but I always wanted to see the United-States of America and Canada." I was right, she's not American.

"That's cool...even though Montreal is a bit boring in April. Where are you from?" She smiles thoughtfully.

"I'm born in the United Kingdom, but I've traveled around Europe since I'm a kid." Now that she mentions it, there is a little bit of an English accent in her voice. "I lived in so many European countries that I can't say which one's really where I'm from." Is it really possible? There must be one.

"Have you learned French or visited France?"

"Not yet, but I'm intending to. Coming here is part of the deal. I work for an international British company. They want to make several deals with Parisian companies, but no one speaks French. I chose to come here before coming to France since I already had to be in L.A. for a few weeks. There's just something about the Province of Quebec that makes me wanna know more about its culture. What about you?" Oh, me?

"I have a memorial to attend to tomorrow in the Eastern Townships. I'm born here actually." She's shocked.

"No way! You speak French! I didn't even realize that French was your mother tongue! It's great to see bilingualism. I'm proud of today's youth. At my time, it was hard to be bilingual at your age. I traveled a lot to learn what I learned."