 |
||
Armand's Memory Re: Armand's Memory 1992-07-25 1998-10-18 A Few New Things Bernadette's Grandfather What's in a Name? Heritage. Serendipity. Archives February 8. 1998. 1999. February 8. |
||
 |
||
| Zero
Storm |
One
Common Drama |
Two
for One |
Three
Pivotal Years |
Four
Generations |
Five
Ring Circus |
| Subject: | Camus - No... Marchand... Fougeray... somewhere down the line. |
| Date: | Saturday, November 21, 1998 10:20:19 +0000 |
| From: | Catherine Camus |
| To: | Jérôme Camus |
Jérôme,
In this convoluted story of halves, I did not write any assumptions, nor come to any hasty conclusions. But I thought the following through.
Jérôme Wrote:
> All we have left to verify is the photo in the church
Francine will not say any more. She says she is old. Meeting her would serve no purpose. She confuses the stories of Henriette and Bernadette:
"Bernadette abandoned her child, paid the board and then, pfft nothing! She left for America."
Our story disturbs Francine. It just leaves a bad taste:
"Bernadette's indifference (a word she used in our first conversation, which I did not use to avoid hurting you) towards her father who was ill (remember what Josée and Guy said). Bernadette's room was on the same floor and did not flinch when Joseph died."
I called her this week, to discuss a few things: she recalled these two points. She does not remember me, she only recognized her mother on the old photograph. She even wanted to send me back the copies I had sent her, wondering why I wanted to look into the past. This past probably recalls the loss of her husband when she was 22. Even the first time she appeared irritated.
I wanted to say the following to Francine: if you and I had a basic education that stretched our minds (music, arts), it is all due to her parents' legacy.
'Bernadette's indifference'. Bernadette loved Joseph (just as if he were her father) and probably had a better understanding with him than with her mother. When did she learn that she was not his daughter? As far as I can tell, just around Joseph's death. Thus her behavior.
I made the following remarks to Nathalie: "Magda must have known certain things about Bernadette". I was surprised at how attached she remained to her, even after a ten year absence. And how surprised I was at Magda's attachment to me.
A possible explanation: when Henriette came to pay room and board for her daughter, Magda may have seen this happen. In addition, if Joseph and Pierre Monnoyeur's families met every so often, then she would have known Henriette worked for Pierre.
As for Bernadette's father, we can confirm only when we know where Pierre and Lucie Monnoyeur lived. Francine did not say.
How to ask the question with the right dose of diplomacy? We will have to think this one through. I thought of l'Hay-les-Roses and real estate registries, or the cemetery.
Maybe Aunt Chambellan might remember something new if we meet her. She does not mind if we take notes: she was even quite happy when I called her back just to check a few things: "You managed to put all the pieces together!"
One thing bugs me. Who is this Madame Pleigne, 27 rue Marbeuf ?
As for your subject line, here is my first rough draft at a response that I then put aside because they were only hunches and I had not checked. I saved it nonetheless. I have just simplified it a bit. Epilogue: what was the story again?
- Henriette should have been called Fougeray;
- Bernadette should have been called Monnoyeur;
- Mamina knew this, why be so attached to this little girl Bernadette her niece, as well as I
Sorry for your new surname, but once again, it is mistaken:
Jérôme .......
PS: are first drafts really any good? As for telepathy...
My regards to Guylaine, Henry a big kiss to Laurent.
To our next chat or write...
Je t'embrasse,
Catherine.