Well, I just thought you might like to see our little cemetery with its lovely chrysanthemum decorations on the graves for Toussaint. Mama would not take me there, even if I could go on a leash, which I can’t, but I mentioned that I knew that place when I was wandering around before I found a home.
Chrysanthemums pour toussaint
Mama saw the old man again today–much thinner, unfocused eyes, staring off into space as he does most of the day, and now he has a cane someone has given him. We used to see him sitting at odd places all over this little town, muttering and making gestures to an unknown friend, and today mama said she spoke to him and said, Bonjour, and asked if her needed anything and before she knew it, he grasped her hand and said BONJOUR, BONJOUR as if they were old friends and asked if mama lived here and how was she doing and so on. He seemed perfectly normal, or at least a bit better, and it’s always nice when a homeless person appears to improve a bit and look a bit happier, but then he slipped off again into no man’s land and mama left him a few euros and said bonjour again and he was left to his dream.
It’s funny how a homeless person, called sans demeure fixe (without a permanent home) can become a kind of fixture in a small town and when he or she is not seen for awhile, those who have noticed him or her are disturbed by the absence. Mama sees now that he cannot walk well and so he doesn’t get around our town as well as he did in past years.
So it’s funny, but true, that we are all relieved to find him on a little bench in the cemetery, talking to the spirits in his head and looking as if he enjoys his conversations with them, whoever or whatever they are. Perhaps he talks to the flowers…
Mama says that the nicest thing is that he will be there during the fête de toussaint and that many people will be visiting the graves and tombs of their families and perhaps he will get a bit more change from them for his food. He asked mama for a cigarette but she shook her head and said je ne fume pas and gave him some bread instead. Mama thinks people come find hin and leave him food. I hope so.
But if he had a little kitty for a companion, he could talk to HER. Maybe I’ll try get the attention of that kitty who hangs around here and send him over to say hello.
HELLO!!!
Everyone needs a friend, even the homeless. We wish lots of friends for the homeless man. And perhaps a kitty to snuggle and love.
I think I might find one for him but I could go visit if mama would let me…