Rue du Bac

MRS. ALICE SEROR, 30 RUE DU BAC

Chapter One.

In Tunis, they had explained to her,

"You're going to Paris, to live with a lady who pays well."

Zohra had never been afraid of anything. She said, "Okay."

Mrs. Alice, as she called her,

had made rue du Bac her home.

Here, her printing house neighbored the publishing houses she worked with

and the literary bars she visited every evening.

The young Tunisian

discovered a type of woman she never could have imagined,

one she would have liked to resemble.

At the time, I didn't visit rue du Bac,

because Alice didn't like me socialising with her son.

And yet, by chance, I was there the day Zohra arrived.

She says she doesn't know how she'd have turned out without reading.

What do you mean?

She says she would have gone astray. That's why she's a great editor.

Do you know what she called her publishing house?

-Marie Aubriac? -No.

The Solitary Lady.

Mom ruined my shot.

I couldn't bring myself to edit it out.

Did she teach you to sail?

I didn't dare say no. I get so seasick.

We write to each other now,

like in the 17th century.

MARIE AUBRIAC, 28 RUE DE GRENELLE, PARIS 7TH

I can open one, if you want? Randomly.

Any one. You'll see, it's beautiful.

"Simon,

in the face of all the doubts that assail you and your difficulties,

I would like to give you the same answer that Rilke gave Kappus."

"People have oriented their solutions

towardthe easy, conventional and toward the easiest side of the easy,

but it is clear that we must hold on to

what is difficult."

"It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult."

"It is also good to love, because love is difficult."

Clearly,

it isn't what your girlfriends send you, "I'm getting a tan, the clubs are nice."

Are you okay?

I've not come to since the accident.

What?

-It's true, you've gained weight. -Yes and no.

That's great.

Since the printing house had flourished

I had the role of the poor relative,

and Simon that of the rich cousin.

Keen to keep our roles in balance he would share his wonderful life with me.

Everything his mom gave him, was for me.

If she gave him a car, he would want me to drive it.

On the day of the accident, Simon was wearing his seatbelt.

He knew how to protect himself.

You'll be very happy in 20 years.

Documentation of a young man strolling around Paris.

I'm making you an underground movie here.

In the accident, I lost the use of one ear.

As a strange form of compensation I liked girls more than ever.

In hospital, I wanted to seduce all the nurses.

They did a good job. It was huge, I swear.

They are mom's friends,

I told them to deal with you.

Your son was very brave.

He's just a relative.

I say, this afternoon…

Octave.

In Smyrna, when I was young,

students would scar themselves

to prove their romantic conquests.

You've already got your scar.

Dad would like me to work for him, at Alice's.

When he talks about my future, it's as if he's given me a corpse to hold.

There she is.

Do you like her?

She's a bit old for me.

-Nice to meet you! -Good morning!

My great uncle, Olga Praquin, a mimic of her condition.

Among other things.

Here, I stole this for you.

TINTIN AND THE BROKEN EAR

Maurice,

bring the vodka to start.

Miss.

Are you plotting something with the maitre d'?

I've known him for 30 years.

I've never eaten at home.

Back in the day, I lived in this hotel.

I was very happy,

between the "L" and the "U".

These are the roses I wanted to give you.

Only yellow ones,

or else Octave isn't happy.

For Zohra, the world was getting bigger.

After working in the posh neighborhood she would work at Octave's, at my parents.

She would say, "Zohra is here for everyone."

THE PASSAGE OF DESIRE

Is that okay?

No money from you.

Let Zohra do her thing,

cousin Alice is paying for it.

You are nice.

You are like a daughter.

So Raphael is my brother?

Goodness!

Raphael is my brother.

As usual, Alice didn't explain anything to my dad.

She just ordered, "Janos, take me to Octave's!"

Look, we are beautiful when we are dead.

All the wrinkles disappear.

Do you like the suit I chose?

After a while, it's better to leave.

He did it well.

Dad.

Had he written all this?

Yes, all his life.

It contains so many stories, it's a real treasure.

If only he would have worked on it…

They all visited him in Smyrna.

Cocteau,

Éluard…

Here, look.

He had two address books.

In this one, there are only the names of women.

Silvana Manzoni,

Barbara Nassau.

I say, they are all here.

Brigitte Soubiran,

what a show-off! She must have annoyed him.

Paulette Rey, Paloma, Olga Praquin,

that doesn't ring a bell.

-Rosette Dubost. -Wait.

The vodka, the yellow roses frozen in ice

and Olga had fallen for him.

Right until the end, Octave had seduced women.

He'd created a masterpiece of his life, it was up to him to end it when he wanted.

Where could he be?

It's okay,

he called, he's well.

He doesn't like funerals.

Does that excuse sit well with you?

Do you think it's normal?

Madam, my friends,

we're congregated here

to commit Octave's body

to the ground.

Friendship does not allow me

to keep his spirit

to myself…

Simon, where are you going?

My cousin vanished three days ago, he adored Octave.

He's under the control of a crazy girl.

They might have left for India or elsewhere.

They are reckless!

-Your mother needs you right now. -It's her fault.

She doesn't want us to see each other. I can't stand it.

I'm scared when he's not with me!

Marie, do you believe

that some people have divine grace and others don't?

My cousin is like you.

I feel like I'm always beside him without being able to reach him.

Let's go.

Where?

To find your cousin.

You're so pleased to imagine yourself on the same side as outcasts.

Come on.

Where does your cousin hang out?

I wanted to meet all the women in Octave's address book.

Some had died, others were absent

and others pretended not to know him.

How did this idea come to you, kid?

I'm going to write about his life and I wanted to know you all.

A book on Octave?

Why do you reply to my letters?

Out of pity, out of charity,

because my mother entrusted me to you?

I like reading your letters, Simon.

I like your questions.

I must bore you. I'm always sad.

Happy people build stations and stores whereas sad people build cathedrals.

Raphael! Obviously, I should have thought of that.

What are you doing in my bed?

I don't want that bastard Polak to touch me anymore.

You deprive me of a lot, Judith.

Those things make me feel down.

Judith, go to bed.

Come on Judith, come to bed.

I'd get marriage proposals every day.

Considering the life he's given me,

that Polak would be better off going back to his country.

The secretarial office of Marie Aubriac's, publishing house, The Solitary Lady.

We thank you for submitting the poem collection.

We regret to inform you that poetry

is not a genre we publish.

Simon was there each time I lost my foothold.

He said to me, "Come live with me,

write your book on Octave, I'll help you."

We need to include…

What?

…his way of talking about money.