Aliens

Last night I went to the music workshop. We didn’t work on “Only one feeling” but on “Starlight” by Muse. It was great fun singing “hooooold you in my arms”. The rest was patience. Two hours practice under the indefatigable guidance of our pro for a few seconds of delight.

Françoise met me afterwards and we went to a Spanish restaurant at Arnaud Bernard that is popular at the moment. The other restaurants in the street were empty. I felt so sorry for the waitress in the Chinese next door I almost suggested we eat there instead, but our restaurant was busy for a reason. The food was razor sharp – fricassée de couteau – the service excellent, and the tables so close together we could pass the aioli and friendly remarks. We were offered free brandies to quit our table after the coffee.

When I got home I could see at a glance everything Billy had done since he arrived home from school. This did not include homework or preparing schoolbag for the next day, for his bag was lying face down inside the door where it falls like a ton of rubble when he comes in. Every drawer he had opened was still open, every room he had entered was still lit, all the appliances he had used were still switched on and arguing with each other, everything he hadn’t wanted to eat was still in the dog’s dish, including the first crêpe which didn’t look like it had been a total success.

The only thing that had been put back in its proper place on its secure wall stand was his guitar, the disposition of the plectrums and cables acting as evidence that it had in fact been plunked.

He had not noticed the note I pinned to his bedroom door, to remind him I would be home late. Before I left, I spent some time thinking about where to put it, but obviously got it wrong. Next time I will tape it to the television screen (but would he actually read it or just remove it as a nuisance?) or stick it inside the cereal box.

He is always amazed that I know what he’s been doing and not doing. I grow old. The other day I found myself inside his school when the pupils came out for their break, and the feeling that came over me was of being surrounded by a throng of aliens.