Chapter 5 chapter Five

Then one day, things came to fruition.One morning, my father decided to go to Cannes for entertainment and dancing at night.I still remember how happy Elsa was.She wanted to restore her irresistible personality in the familiar atmosphere of the casino.Her charms were blunted somewhat by the sunshine and the semi-solitude we found ourselves in.Contrary to my expectations, Anna had no objection to these social events, and she even seemed rather pleased.So after supper I went boldly to my room and changed into a silk dress.After all, that's the only dress I have.It was chosen by my father for me.It is made of an oriental material, perhaps too oriental, in my opinion.Because my father always dressed me up as a hard-working woman, either out of interest or hobby.I met my father downstairs, in a brand new tuxedo, very sprightly.I grabbed his neck:

"You're the most handsome man I've ever known." "Except Cyril," he said, not really thinking so himself. "And you, you're the most beautiful girl I know." "Except Elsa and Anna," I said, not believing it myself. "Since they're not here, and since they told us to wait here, come and dance with your old papa, with your rheumatic papa." I experience again the joy we feel before we go out.He really doesn't look like an old father.As I danced, I smelled his familiar cologne beads, body heat, and smoke.He danced rhythmically, his eyes were half closed, and like me, there was an uncontrollable happy smile on his mouth.

"You'll have to teach me pebop," he said, forgetting his rheumatism. He stopped and greeted Elsa with an involuntarily flattering murmur.She was wearing a green dress, walking down the stairs gracefully, with the smile of a woman who loves high society life has been through everything, the smile of the casino.She had done her best to comb her dry hair and toned her sunburnt skin, but they were admirable but not noticeable.Fortunately, she doesn't seem to realize this. "Shall we go?" "Anna hasn't come yet," I said. "Go up and see if she's packed," said the father. "It must be midnight when we get to County."

I climbed the stairs with some inconvenience in my dress and knocked on Anna's door.She called me loudly to come in.I stopped as soon as I stepped over the threshold.I saw her wearing a gray dress.It was an unusual gray, almost white, and when the light shone on it it took on the hue of the sea at dawn.This evening, she seemed to have all the charms of a mature woman in one. "It's beautiful!" I said. "Ah! Anna, what a beautiful dress!" She smiled in the mirror, as if smiling at someone who was about to leave. "It's an incredible gray," she said.

"You're crazy too," I said. She grabbed my ear and stared at me.She has two dark blue eyes.I saw them sparkling and smiling. "You're a funny little girl, though annoying at times." I was both pleased and sad that she walked ahead of me without paying close attention to my dress.She went down the stairs first.I saw my father coming towards her.He stopped at the foot of the stairs, put one foot on the first step, and looked up at her.Elsa also watched her go downstairs.I still remember that scene clearly: in front of my eyes are Anna's beautiful shoulders and golden neck; a little below is my father's fascinated face and outstretched hand; a little further away is Elsa's figure.

"Anna," said my father, "you are wonderfully beautiful." She smiled at him and walked past him, grabbing her coat. "Let's meet there," she said. "Cecile, will you come with me?" She let me drive.The road is so beautiful at night, I drive comfortably.Anna said nothing, and didn't even seem to notice the loud trumpet on the radio.She was also unmoved when Dad's convertible passed us in a bend. I already feel that in the face of a play that I can no longer participate in, I have countless hearts. At the casino, we were quickly separated due to my father's trickery.I went to the bar with Elsa and an acquaintance of hers, a South American.The South American was already half-drunk, but he was engrossed in watching the show on stage.Despite his drunkenness, his passion for the theater made him stand out.I spent nearly an hour with him happily.But Elsa was bored.She knew one or two big stars, but their acting skills did not arouse her interest.She suddenly asked where my father was, as if I might know something, and left.The South American looked gloomy for a while, but a new whiskey revived him.Out of politeness, I drank with him, completely absorbed in the feeling of comfort, and thought nothing of it.Things get even more comical when he wants to dance.I had to grab him by the waist and pull my foot out from under him.It takes a lot of effort.We laughed so hard that when Elsa tapped me on the shoulder and I saw her Cassandra look, I almost told her to fuck off.

"I didn't find him," she said. She had a dejected look on her face.The powder on her face fell off, revealing her true colors.She had a stern face, and it was pathetic.I was suddenly angry with my father.He's also so rude it's hard to believe. "Smell! I know where they are." I smiled, as if it was a perfectly natural thing she could think of without worry. "I will return." Losing my support, the South American collapsed into Elsa's arms, seemingly at ease.I sadly thought that she was more plump than I was.But I don't hate her for it.The casino is huge.I ran two laps to no avail.I looked through the patio seats and finally thought of the car.

It took me a while to find it in the parking lot.They are in the car.I walked from behind and saw them through the rear bridge glass.Their silhouettes were close together, very solemn, and they looked beautiful in the light of the street lamps.They were looking at each other, probably whispering, for I could see their lips moving.I wanted to walk away, but thinking of Elsa, I opened the car door anyway. Father's hand was on Anna's arm.They hardly looked at me. "Did you have a good time?" I asked politely. "What's the matter?" said the father, looking unhappy. "What are you doing here?"

"What about you? Elsa has been looking for you everywhere for an hour." Anna turned her head towards me slowly, as if regretfully saying: "We're going back. You go and tell her that I'm tired and your father will drive me back. When you've had enough fun, go back in my car." I was shaking with anger, not knowing what to say for a while. "When will it be enough! You don't know! What a nuisance!" "What's annoying?" my father asked in surprise. "You take a girl with reddish-brown hair to the beach and let her bask in the sun. She can't stand the sun. When she gets peeled off, you don't want her anymore. It's too easy! Let me go What would you say to Elsa?"

Anna turned to me again in boredom.My father smiled at her and didn't listen to what I said.I am furious: "I'm going...I'm going to tell her that my father slept with another woman and asked her to hand it over, is that right?" Father growled loudly.Meanwhile, Ana slapped me across the face.I quickly retracted my head from the car door.This slap hurt me so much. "Please forgive me," said the father. I stood motionless by the car door, confused.Noble gestures always come to mind very late. "Come here," said Anna. She didn't seem to be threatening.So I walked over.Reaching out to touch my cheek.Talking to me slowly and softly, as if I were being silly:

"Don't be so bad. I'm sorry for Elsa. But you're too overpaid to get it over with. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Did I hurt you?" "Where?" I said politely. This sudden tenderness and my previous excessive roughness made me want to cry.I looked at them anteriorly.I feel devastated. My only consolation is to feel I have integrity.I walked slowly back to the casino and found Elsa.The South American still held her arm. "Anna's sick," I said, with an air of nonchalance. "Papa has to take her home. Shall we go get something to drink?" She looked at me without answering.I looked for a reason that would convince her. "She's sick and throwing up," I said. "It's horrible, and her dress is so dirty." I thought this detail was very realistic, but Elsa was sobbing sadly.I looked at her, overwhelmed. "Sytil," she said, "oh, Seychelle, we're so happy..." Her sobbing intensified.The South Americans also began to cry, repeating: "We were so happy, so happy." At this time, I hated Anna and my father.I'll do anything to get poor Elsa to stop crying, to keep her mascara from melting, to make the South American stop sobbing. "It's not over yet, Elsa. Come back with me." "I'll be back for sperm soon," she sobbed. "Goodbye, Cecile, we hit it off so well." Elsa and I never only talked about the weather and fashion, but I feel like I've lost an old friend.I turned around sharply and ran towards the car.