April 15th, 1961
The small cafe on Hampton street, home of the many art student avid of caffeine and music, was almost empty. Most of the loyal patrons were back in school following the Easter holiday Sitting alone at the back of the cafe, Eddie, waiting for Cynthia to show up, was paying close attention to the many hanged paintings and drawings, hiding the dulled yellow paint chipping from the walls. All of it were pieces form past or current art students from the Fine Arts College, not far from the place.
A woman in her forties, wearing an old flower print dress and an apron approached the table and put down the glass of water Eddie requested before tucking the single red curly lock that escaped her tight hair bun behind her ear. The young woman thanked the waitress faintly.
"Waiting for someone, love?" Asked the woman, wiping her hands on her apron?
Eddie lifted her head and nodded silently.
"I've never seen you in here before. You're not a student form the art school, are ya?"
Eddie shook her head. "Oh no. I don't have any artistic talent whatsoever beside playing a few guitar and banjo chords. I'm not a student at all anyway." Answered Eddie before taking a first sip of water.
The waitress walked back behind the counter right across from Eddie's table. She picked up a cloth and wiped the counter vigorously. "A young lady like ye not in school? That's a shame!" She exclaimed with a genuine disappointment. "I would have loved to go to school at your age, but I had to stay here to help me parents with this place. How old are ya, love?" Asked the woman.
"18 ma'am." Timidly answered Eddie, not used getting into small talks with complete strangers, but the smiling and sympathetic waitress knew hot to put Eddie at ease.
"Oh! So young! You have so much time in yer hands my darling. There is surely something ye have talent in. Everybody does."
Eddie took a few seconds to think about about what to answer to the woman who leaned forward on the counter, allowing herself a brief moment to rest before students would flood the place as the classes would end.
"I don't know really. The only thing I can think of is that I know the basics of the french language. I studied it in secondary school." Shyly affirmed Eddie as she removed her yellow cardigan and adjusted her brother's white, over sized, shirt.
"French! That's great! Say something in french." Requested the woman with a large smile, hugely impressed at the girl's claim.
Eddie began to blush, not knowing what to say. "Uh...well..." She chuckled nervously, trying to remind herself what she learned a few years ago. "Maître Corbeau sur son arbre perché, tenait en son bec un fromage. Maître Renard, par l'odeur alléché lui tint à peu près ce language." Eddie recited the lines of Jean de La Fontaine's famous fable.
(Perched on a tree sat Master Crow
While in his beak he held a cheese ;
Lured by the smell stood Master Fox below,
And hailed him in such words as these)
Before the astonished waitress could express her amazement, a man's strong french accent was hear at the front of the cafe. "Hé ! Bonjour, Monsieur le Corbeau. Que vous êtes joli ! Que vous me semblez beau ! Sans mentir, si votre ramage se rapporte à votre plumage."
(" What ! Master Crow ! good day ! how be ye ?
'Pon honour I am glad to see ye !
How beautiful, how handsome ye appear !
How I should like to hear your note !
For if your warbling's like your coat)
The young man stood up, leaving his cup of tea behind and walked to Eddie's table with a large smile, accentuating his strong jawline and his blues eyes sparkling with joy. The waitress was now in shock, not understanding a single word that has been said.
YOU ARE READING
Eddie ~Paul McCartney Fanfiction~
Fanfiction-1961- Unlike her older brother, the 18 year-old Eddie is shy; result of years of being overprotected by her brother and her aunt. The only thing she wishes is to spread her wings, see other parts of the world, to express her emotions without shame...
