HiStory

Stories by Month

Virginie was 18

This is a translation of the French story

by Marie-Thérèse Lassabatere.

In 1938, she was 18. Pierre was 18, too. That Friday, on market day, Pierre went to Oloron by bike as his parents used to do, but the bicycle quickly caused him some problems that forced him to go see a bicycle repairman. The latter examined the situation with great seriousness and pronounced: “you’ll have it in three hours, not earlier than that”.

What to do? Pierre accepted his fate and was about to leave when she came in … with her bike … a bike that had broken down, of course. The same investigation was conducted, the same verdict pronounced: “not earlier than in three hours”.

As the greatest coincidence may have it, our two youngsters, deprived of their vehicles and forced into complete idleness, decided to become acquainted over a cup of coffee. But the story didn’t end there. Virginie was oh so pretty and so nice, and Pierre was oh so charming! From then on, they met on the same marketplace each Friday afternoon.

One day, the fair came to a village neighbouring Virginie’s. Virginie took Pierre to see her parents to ask them for permission to go to the fair together with Pierre.

Permission granted. Our two youngsters went to the fair together, but the rain kept falling and falling … They both became soaked, but who cared? They were happy!

The following Friday, Pierre waited for Virginie as usual, but she didn’t come to their meeting place. Her brother came in her stead to tell Pierre that Virginie was very ill. She was suffering from a double congestion. Pierre never saw Virginie again, who passed away from her illness a few days later. Pierre never forgot her and remained alone for the rest of his life.

This is the true and touching story that Pierre recently told me from his hospital bed, with great lucidity and precision of memory, at soon 90 years of age.