Hidden

French Lessons

"Then we got to paint and write our names on like artists and the teacher said that my picture of a cat was great and she's putting it on the wall!"

Valeria loves to tell me all about her day on the way home from school. It's lovely how she talks about her nursery. She doesn't have to do proper lessons yet as she is only four, but it's nice for her to make friends.

"Oh! Mummy!" she says, swinging my hand that she has a hold of, "Do you remember yesterday you said that I was trying to learn french and I was good when I was little?"

"Yes sweetie." I say with a smile.

"I was thinkin', why don't you teach me french again and then I'll know it and Spanish. Then we can move back to France like you like and still know Spanish in case we have to go to Buunos Ares!"

I had to smile at her suggestion. She's so lovely and it's true that I did want to raise her in France. The only reason I raised her in Spain was so she would know the language, then if the day came when I'd have to return and face reality she'd understand everyone. It would be harder to deal with all of it if she only spoke French. I was being practical.

Now however the suggestion had me thinking and I decided it would be a lovely idea. The thought of returning go France had me in a great mood.

"I like the idea!" I say smiling, "I'll begin to teach you french whenever you'd like!"

"Now!" she squeals excitedly.

"Now?" I ask, "On the way home?"

"Why not?" she says, "Long way home anyways."

I smile, "Okay then, lets start with colours!"

Valeria beams at me, "Pink first please mommy!"

I had to smile, everything she owns is pink.

"Pink is Rose." I say and point to her pink t-shirt.

"Like the flower?" she says curiously.

"Yes!" I reply, "But you have to say it with an accent!"

With that, Valeria begins to try a variety of accents, trying to say 'rose' in the most dramatic way possible.

She was so funny, she had me in hysterics.

"You drama queen!" I cry, "You are such an attention seeker!"

Valeria's face drops.

"Me?" she says overdramatically, "Noooooo!"

This makes me laugh even more as she deliberately did that.

"Am I funny Mummy?" she says giggling.

"Very." I reply, as I watch her smile grow bigger.

For a while, she continued to over exaggerate everything just to be funny but she eventually got bored.

"What about colour blue? Like sky?"

"Blue is Bleu" I reply, "It sounds kind of like your trying to be sick."

Valeria giggles and attempts to say it.She liked the idea of it sounding like someone trying to be sick and acted whilst saying the word and since she got it rather quickly, she wanted to move on.

"Now yellow, like sun!"

"Yellow is Jaune." I reply.

"Yellow is your favourite colour right Mummy?" she asks.

"Yes." I reply as we continue to walk.

"How do you say, my favourite colour is yellow?" says Valeria.

"Mon couleur préférée c'est jaune." I reply as Valeria watches me with wide eyes.

She then attempts to repeat it.

"Do you want me to tell you how to say my favourite colour is pink?" I ask.

"No, it's not my favourite colour so I'm okay." she says still thinking.

"It's not?" I say, " But everything you have is pink!"

"Yeah but I have yellow like you as favourite colour 'cause we are a team." she replys with a smile.

I beamed at her when she said this. Our little team and I have the best team mate.

"Anyway," she continues, "Pink isn't even as good as purple! How do you say purple?"

I gulp ever so slightly, "Violet."

"Violet, I like that, it's pretty." she replys smiling.

"It is isn't it?" I say happily as she comes into my head.

"Yep I love it." she says with a smile, "I love everything to do with it!"

Violet. The word spins around my head and I know it only means purple, but it only reminds me of one person.

Violetta.