Le repas

This afternoon, my host mother called me à table for a lunch of a green salad, baguette, quiche, yogurt, fruit salad. We discussed the obesity epidemic that is now crossing the Atlantic and making itself known in France, referencing the corporate subsidies that made sugary and fatty foods so cheap and available in the United States that do not exist here. I began to talk about the evolutionary reasons for our fatness, or as much as I could do in French.

“Well, it’s partly because, um, a long time ago, like, evolutionarily … we needed sugars and fats the most, because they gave us the most energy …”

“Also because they taste good!” she interjected.

“Well, yes, but … they taste good because … um … we needed to eat them … so we’re …” I paused to think of the word for ‘adapt,’ wondered if it was ‘adapté,’ wondered if saying ‘adapté’ was going to sound too American, then decided to abort the discussion. “Anyway, I really love chocolate,” I concluded.

We returned our trays to the kitchen, where I began loading the dishes into the dishwasher, and asked how her upcoming bridge tournament was organized. Apparently this was a sore point.

“The organizer, I’ve asked him nicely and not so nicely, but he always puts me in the first round and the last round, instead of two rounds together, so my whole day is devoted to bridge. If everyone had to do it, that would be fine, but it’s always me, and I have other things in my life, you know?”

“Ce n’est pas égal,” I said. “That’s not fair.”

“Si, c’est pas équitable,” she said. “It’s not fair,” with better grammar. “But he tells me I should do it because I’m all alone, and what else do I have to do?”

She went on, laughing at how the organizer liked her, but she was not at all interested in him, pas de tout. She paused.

“You know,” she said, “Je suis contente que tu es ici.” “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too! CUPA gave me a housing survey yesterday, and I didn’t have any … um …” I searched for the word for ‘complaints.’

“Critiques?” she said. “Me neither.”

I excused myself to pack my bag for the afternoon ahead, but instead sat on my bed, completely choked up. I heard her leave for the competition, and knew I was alone - but somehow, I wasn't really.