Polish that silver.......A Christmas tale

Monchéri is baking and I’m polishing the silver. What I pompously call "my silver", mon argenterie, as we say in French sums up to a dozen of forks, knives and spoons, perhaps twenty dessert spoons, a coffee pot, a little milk jug and a sugar container. Nothing much really but I love to make it shine for the holiday as friends will come and share with us the 13 desserts we’re busy preparing. I was born in Provence where the 13 desserts at Christmas is a tradition and as a cake lover I happily indulge into the baking madness.

Of course, in no time the kitchen is a total mess. We fight for the least amount of space left.

Mira, quitate de aqui que necesito fregar... (look, get out of the way, I need to use the tap)

Si pero yo tambien quiero fregar (well, me too)

Y porque siempre tienes que hacer la misma cosa que yo al mismo tiempo ¡ que pesado, eres ! (why do you always have to do the same thing as me, you’re a bore)

La pesada, eres tu, y para ya de lijar estos cubiertos, que mania ! (no you are a bore, and stop polishing this cutlery, you're such a maniac)

I smile at Monchéri and display my little argenterie on a tray. Funny how cleaning and polishing can bring some satisfaction.

Also whenever I polish my little silver set, I just can’t help smiling and thinking of where I was five years ago.

Five years ago, I was a wreck. After ending a long term relationship with my ex-boyfriend I was left with practically nothing...Everything went, the house, the computer, the washing machine, any kind of machine, the cat. Luckily, I still had my friends. One found me a place to stay while I'd get a new home. I was still selling my design work and was making some extra money on week ends baking cakes for a restaurant and running their tea room on Sundays.

Then, one day, another dear friend told me Look I’ve got the perfect job for you which will set you back for a while. And she started to tell me about a wonderful jewel of a house set in the middle of nowhere with the most amazing menagerie, where lived a whimsical former antique dealer.

- Ok, ok…and what then…what is the job about ?

- Well…looking after the old man, that is, preparing his breakfast, lunch, then tea, then a light supper and that’s it. Oh…and feeding the animals as well…You'll live there and you have 2 days off every 10 or 12 days.

- Sounds nice…what do you mean by the animals exactly ?

- Tortoises, cats and dogs, doves, hens, peacocks and there’s a female hawk too…

- Oh my…but wait..this old man…is he ok or what ?

- Well…he can barely walk, unless with a cane. Also, he can be very difficult at times but I know him a bit and he’s nice.

- Mmmm..

- Oh….come on…don’t think it twice..it's very well paid...you need the money or not ?

- You bet I do…


And what my friend said was true, the house was the fabulous dream of an eccentric. Since then, I learnt it has been featured a few times in decoration magazines. Naturally I wasn't allowed to bring any stranger on the premises as the rooms were filled with valuable objects and art.

And the menagerie !...For the first time of my life, I made friend with one particular peacock which used to enter the vast living room, everyday to get bits of bread. I had a beautiful ensuite room which was my refuge during siesta time and in the evening. It was also by my window that the female hawk came to get her piece of poultry. I felt an immense joy the day she let me stroke her head. My job was pleasant, I didn't too well with the hens though but I loved the doves. The tortoises were funny and easy to satisfy with big leaves of lettuce.

Well…I was doing fine except that the old man was a bit more whimsical than I had thought. Except that, like in cheap literature, I suddenly find myself trapped in a nasty rapport de force situation. The old man was not a nice man. He loved humiliating people. It made me feel really sad and I often wondered why be so mean after having lived such a full and interesting life ? Why not be just grateful ?

The tricky thing is that, during the time I was there, I still had orders to prepare and send to shops. One afternoon, he found me in the kitchen making some cards during my time off. He shouted : "what do you think, you're here for, you lousy girl !....you're not paid to do your own work!".

- But, this is my time off….I objected

- You don’t have any time off ! If you have nothing to do…there’s plenty of silver to polish !

I was swollen with anger but I just shrugged my shoulders and because I didn’t want to make things worse, I put my work aside and started to polish the silver, like he said. In reality, I didn’t mind as some pieces were truly beautiful.

As you can imagine, I didn’t keep this job too long as it got stressful in the end. I do miss the female hawk and this one particular peacock which ate in my hand.

A few years went by…things got better.

Little by little I carried on my design work while resuming my first job which is translator. After sharing a house with two persons, I now live in my own flat. And the most important of all, I met my wonderful unique Monchéri, that guy who told me this afternoon, stop polishing that silver, that's enough now...

Well, this afternoon while I was polishing my own silver, I smiled thinking of the whimsical old man, wishing him a merry Christmas.

Have a merry peaceful week end

Forget about the Christmas shopping

Bake cookies for your loved ones!

pic my petite argenterie