Lovelocks

Susan and I have had the best times, a lot of it just walking and talking, it has been extraordinary journey, I hope will never end. 
 Susan's laughter at me watching reruns of Movies 24. Should really be called Love Films 24, as they are all love stories. My favourite is ‘Lovelocks’.  A story of two people meeting up again after 20 years. They were in love then. She has returned, bringing her daughter to study at the same university she went to. Lovely story but the dialogue is amazingly beautiful, the best character is the Old painter. He says to a lady, who lost her husband a while ago, that he is going to paint her.

“You have a sadness in your eyes and a joy, I tried to catch both.”

He paints her and they grow attached, two older people finding another time for happiness. Love locks are actually locks fastened to bridges in Paris. A couple will lock the padlock to the bridge and throw the key in the river below. A symbol of the couples love. I suppose as long as the lock is locked to the bridge, so their love is strong. Love locking has been classified an act of vandalism. The french authorities have started taking them down as there are now millions of locks attached to loads of bridges and the weight of the locks are damaging the historical bridges. As in all Movies 24, the couple do get together again and the end is always a happy one. He owns a hotel and she use to paint, the story sees her get back to painting and her daughter falls for Jean-Paul, another student at the university. The daughter says to her mother.

“How can you not fall in love with Paris when Paris is the city of love.”


Talking of girls, I remember a very obnoxious little 10 year old, who when I bent down to give her, her birthday present, shouted, ‘Oh yack he has hair in his nose, look at his nose.’ Everyone in the room laughed, not lest her parents. Small things are easily laughed away, I never made the mistake again of ever allowing myself to go near that girl again. It made me think of how life has changed and also stayed the same. I saw that little girl again, now a grown up version, still the same. I also trim the hair in my nose. Lessons are learnt.

Changing the subject somewhat, peas, they are a noble vegetable. I cook them with chilli and garlic. Bring the water to the boiling water, add the peas, crushed clove of garlic, a whole chilli and then you cook the peas as you would normally. Once cooked, drain, add a teaspoon of butter, season and serve. The subtle flavour of the chilli and the hint of the garlic, lift the peas. Peas remind me of my mother and my grandmother.