I saw her for the first time at the star of the first lockdown. In the application of the main sanitary mesures, related to COVID-, the tail at the post office stretched out to the outside. She was against the facade sharing the same sapce with us, so the post office users. Sh's a woman who lives in street whose physical appparences details are like one beeing fromthe other time : First her thick yellowed and bleached hair falls in tow of the lower back framing a thin face drawn on a white skin yellowed too by the outside life. The waiting int the queue had given me enough time to observe her. The stuff that her had dressed, a poor thickness not seems to seem to protect her from the coolness of March and should also be used as a panosse for her own dirt. The smell that emanated was unpleasantly to our nostrils. The COVID mask was of circumtance turning out to be of a double need. Between pity and disgust I asked myself the question of how she managed carrying with the cardboard boxes and newspapers. Those elements are piled up like a nest carefully constructed. She looked like a bird in his nest.
The shops around had called my attention. Their chic and their light had shocked me for the first time in my life. This stark contaste between her condition and the shops around didn't leave me indifferent mainly the shop names as ONE DAY OR ANOTHER. This is one of those shop signs that make you dream before a short skirt at 250€ to wear, winter obliges, with a coat at 400€. But what this sign of this shop would mean ? Rather it made me smile. ONE DAY OR ANOTHER day wold I by all this or find myself on the other side of the asphalt ? She's right in front of it across the street. Considering her so far way because of her condition, I asked me ? Can she still dream ? BIUTIFUL is another sign juste beside ONE DAY OR ANOTHER and which shows with insurance in its entry : « NICE THINGS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE » are what you need.
One day I saw a man passing who stepped forward in his direction. From afar, it was impossible to hear what they were saying. But I saw that she looked for something in the middle of her nest and gave him it. It was a coin. He left and came back. I was worried about it and my boyfriend didn't understand why I insisted on stayng there and waiting for him. « Sure he went to get somme food », he said.
It was then 6p.m. After a good few minutes, he came back. He was not carrying a hot bread nut a fresh newspaper.
Maria