Mon Miroir d'amour, My Mirror, My Love

Cafe Miroir

A young spring tender girl
Combed her joyous hair
"You are very ugly" said the mirror
But
On her lips hung a smile
Of done secret loveliness,
For only that morning had not
A blind guy said
" You are beautiful"

Marydale was looking on her reflection while articulating in a dramatic tone a poem by S. Milligan entitled Mirror, Mirror. 

This is her early morning routine at the inner room at the backmost part of the Cafe Miroir, a quaint coffee cum bookstore shop located at a busy street in Rue Du Grenier Saint Lazzare, Paris France. 

Marydale works the early morning shift to mid afternoon at Cafe Miroir as serveuse. She has been working part time in this coffee/bookstore shop for a year now to support herself in her studies. 

Cafe Miroir is simple but classic, a fusion of classic parisian and filipino architecture and interior design, the shop has a space for 10 diners only inside and 10 diners outside. It has several bookshelves where the diners can browse books and latest magazines in arts, food and fashion or purchase their favourite books or magazines.  

Cafe Miroir is also popularly known for its east meets west fusion menu and coffee choices. The price is really affordable and many filipinos students and tourist alike has made the Cafe Miroir a place to energise and relax. 

Luckily Marydale was able to get this job as the owner is a Filipina businesswoman Maria Mendoza married to a French gentleman Raphael Beaumont. Maria and Raphael are the owners of the sucessfull Miroir fashion design business school and chain of fashion houses located in Manila, Cebu and Davao as well as in Hongkong, New York, London and Paris. Paris, France is the couples' headquarters. 

Marydale's maternal family, from her grandmother, mother, aunties to her uncles have worked with the Beaumonts' in the Philippines in their fashion houses from production to marketing level. 

The Entratas are one of the couples trusted workers..and now as the new generation Entrata, Marydale was fortunate to obtain a fashion design business scholarship for two years at the famous L'Institut Miroir College in Paris, France. It is not an easy feat as she has to prove to the Beaumont family that she will take her studies very seriously, work hard for it and that she deserves the scholarship.

Bonjour Maymay!!! Marydale was startled by a co worker,

  Ay Bonjour sa imo !!! said Marydale, anu ka ba naman Patricia, puede namang sweetan mo ang pagbati sa akin, ang ganda ganda ng pag emote ko dito sa harap ng salamin eh habang binibigkas ang tula ni Milligan. 

Patricia is another Filipino working in the coffee/bookstore shop full time. She is the assistant manager and a very good friend and confidant of Marydale. 

Hay naku Maymay, sino ba yang blind guy na yan sa tula na yan? Kelan ko ba yan makikilala? At paano nyang nasabing You are Beautiful? Porquoi? Comment Venir? 

Excusez-moi madame Patricia when in France please call me Marydale, like Marie dale emphasis on the rie ok. 

Parang ikaw I like calling you Patricia rather than Iciang. At yung blind guy na yan itaga mo sa bato malapit na yan hindi pa lang kami nagkikita kasi blind nga!!! 

And the two friends laugh at their hearts desire until Maymay blurts out her famous fart...Patricia and Maymay looked up suprise and burst out laughing again. 

The laughter suddenly ceased abruptly when they heard a tap on the door pane of  Cafe Miroir. Patricia and Maymay both had quizzical looks on their faces as the sign of the shop clearly said Cafe Miroir ouvre a 8 matin..abah alas siyete pa lang ah sino kaya yun? ang linaw linaw na alas otso ng umaga ang bukas ng coffee shop, sino kayang zombie yun na gusto ng magkape? asked Maymay aloud. Oh well call of duty, lets walk the extra mile, customers cant wait, customers are always right, right Patricia, baka  naman si sir o ma'am eh matindi talaga ang gutom. 

Maymay looked up herself in the miror briefly, smiled at her reflection and softly murmured I am beautiful..and put on her eyeglasses. They heard the tapping sound again but this time on a louder hurried tone. Patricia and Maymay quickly left the back place where the bookshelves were situated and proceeded at the dining area.

Patricia went straight to the kitchen to notify the chef of a possible early customer while Maymay proceeded to the front door preparing to greet Cafe Miroir's first early bird customer of the day.