By Christian
A tale of All Souls
My whole family is French, but as you should know by now we lived in Morocco. My Dad was born there, when it was still a French colony.
My Mom, Jeanne, was from Alsace. My father had met her at the end of the war, while liberating France. She was very outgoing and as such had many friends.
A tale of All Souls
My whole family is French, but as you should know by now we lived in Morocco. My Dad was born there, when it was still a French colony.
My Mom, Jeanne, was from Alsace. My father had met her at the end of the war, while liberating France. She was very outgoing and as such had many friends.
 |
| My mother, Jeanne |
One of her
best friend’s name was Germaine.
Germaine was married; she had three children and was about ten years younger than my Mom. Our two families would often go water skiing, and we spent a great deal of time together.
Germaine was married; she had three children and was about ten years younger than my Mom. Our two families would often go water skiing, and we spent a great deal of time together.
 |
| At the lake |
One day, my Mom and
Germaine made a promise to each other: that the first one to go to Heaven would come
and welcome the other one for the great passage.
By the time I came into
the world, it was the end of the colonial era.
In 1970, the Moroccan government nationalized Germaine’s family farm. The whole family had to leave for France to begin re-building their lives from scratch.
Eventually, our family moved into the house they’d left in Morocco.
In 1970, the Moroccan government nationalized Germaine’s family farm. The whole family had to leave for France to begin re-building their lives from scratch.
Eventually, our family moved into the house they’d left in Morocco.
 |
| Our house |
Our families kept vaguely in touch.
My Mom died from cancer three years later.
I was living in France by that time, and about ten years later, I learned that Germaine too had cancer, and wasn’t doing too well.
Sadly we lived far away and I couldn’t visit her.
One day Germaine’s son, Daniel, called me; it wasn’t good news.
He told me that his mother had passed just a few minutes before.
He said that she had entered into a coma some days earlier and couldn’t communicate for a while. But he wanted to let me know that just before entering into her new life she sat up on her bed and opened her eyes. She was wide-awake and looking straight in front of her. With a broad grin she cried: “Jeanne, Jeanne!” and passed.
My Mom died from cancer three years later.
I was living in France by that time, and about ten years later, I learned that Germaine too had cancer, and wasn’t doing too well.
Sadly we lived far away and I couldn’t visit her.
One day Germaine’s son, Daniel, called me; it wasn’t good news.
He told me that his mother had passed just a few minutes before.
He said that she had entered into a coma some days earlier and couldn’t communicate for a while. But he wanted to let me know that just before entering into her new life she sat up on her bed and opened her eyes. She was wide-awake and looking straight in front of her. With a broad grin she cried: “Jeanne, Jeanne!” and passed.
We don’t know what’s
behind the veil, but Daniel was certain that my Mom had come to welcome his Mother
and that was real.
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