The Secret World of Maya Alexander

Chapter 26

The itinerary only allowed for a brief pause in Paris, before the travellers were to embark on their next high speed train to Lucerne in Central Switzerland and the commencement of the picturesque train journey Maya has so often talked of taking during her brighter and more hopeful moments in life. Jackie had of course insisted that three hours was enough time to at least behold the Eiffel Tower and visit a Patisserie to stock up on some indulgences for their next train journey. Maya had seemed a little reluctant at first but once again, her mother's gentle optimism managed to sway her daughter into agreement that the fresh air and scenery was in fact a necessity to shake off the claustrophobia of the tunnel.

It was late afternoon or early evening, depending on which way you preferred to see it, and perhaps whether you were heading home or embarking out. Both points of view were probably equally romantic for the travelling couples who were walking hand in hand or arm in arm along the Parisian streets, still warm with love and bright from a summer that was desperately lingering on before letting Autumn take centre stage. Maya had only ever been to Paris twice. Once on a school trip during her A Levels and once with Stephen not long after they had met. She remembered that even then he had always seemed in a rush. A strict itinerary as recommended by his mother had dictated their few days in the capital city of romance.

By that time, Maya was already becoming used to going along with Stephen's wishes and had learned to quieten her own desires. But back then, Stephen would still notice when she began to quietly sulk as she dismissed her own pleasures. She had been so disappointed when he told her that there was no way that they would have time to take a stroll across the Pont Saint-Louis pedestrian bridge just behind Notre Dame Gardens to venture into the atmospheric and lively streets of Ile Saint Louis. Stephen had already made it very clear that they had just enough time to see Notre Dame and could not possibly divert from their plan. After all it was already early evening and he had made a reservation for dinner at the hotel, he reasoned as he had dismissed her impatiently.

She was certain that they had been the only couple arguing in the middle of Paris. He had reminded  her of her selfishness. She had stood for a while in silence, her eyes beginning to fill with taciturn tears. He had scorned her all the more for crying in public just to humiliate him. That was the very first occasion that she had run off from him without a word. He had been too stubborn to follow her.

The pull of his anger and sadness upon her conscience had been temporarily broken. She had been able to drift off in the pretty streets of Ile Saint Louis without too much consideration for her first and on;y boyfriend. She had not considered how angry he would be. No one in her life had ever seemed angry before when she had decided to take herself off for some time and space. His wrath when she had finally returned to their hotel late in the evening was something which had left a significant imprint upon her mind. Of course she had believed him the next day when he said he was sorry and that he would never have become so angry if she had not caused him so much worry and spoiled their holiday. She took his blame. She believed in his love.  The holiday became a memory she rarely brought to consciousness, but it left a shadow nonetheless. It did not diminish her need to escape from time to time but it taught her to hide her escapism as much as possible. It taught her secrets were better than truth.

Luckily, Maya and her mother did not have time for the walk along the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, so Maya's recollection of her trip with her husband remained within the safer realms of the day that they had visited the Eiffel Tower. The day that the queues to go in the lift had been longer than his itinerary had allowed for. Neither Maya nor her mother felt a necessity to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower during their brief visit and were content with taking selfies at the bottom and being obliged to purchase mini Eiffel Tower keyrings at twice the price of those being sold by a happier looking vendor just down the road.