We used to chat until very late with Georges and his wife. Georges told us there would certainly be trouble one of these days, and identity checks, since many of the people who were in Megève as vacationers were on a continual spree and attracting attention. We were not like the others. He and his wife would take care of us, in case of difficulties. Denise had disclosed to me that Georges reminded her of her father. We often made a wood fire. The hours passed in warmth and closeness, and we felt at home. Sometimes when the others had left, we stayed alone at ‘The Southern Cross.’ We had the
We used to chat until very late with Georges and his wife. Georges told us there would certainly be trouble one of these days, and identity checks, since many of the people who were in Megève as vacationers were on a continual spree and attracting attention. We were not like the others. He and his wife would take care of us, in case of difficulties. Denise had disclosed to me that Georges reminded her of her father. We often made a wood fire. The hours passed in warmth and closeness, and we felt at home. Sometimes when the others had left, we stayed alone at ‘The Southern Cross.’ We had the chalet to ourselves. I would like to be able to relive certain clear nights when we gazed down at the village, which stood out sharply against the snow, so that it looked like a miniature village, a toy village in a shop window at Christmas. Those nights, everything seemed simple and reassuring and we dreamed of the future. We would settle here, our children would go to the village school, summer would come with the tinkling bells of the herds being led to pasture. We would lead a happy life, with no surprises. On other nights, the snow fell and I felt I was suffocating. We would never be able to get away, Denise and I. We were prisoners, at the end of this valley, and the snow would gradually bury us. There was nothing more disheartening than these mountains which blocked out the horizon. Panic took over. Then, I would open the french windows and we would go out on to the balcony. I br...
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