Scene 6: The Big Trail

How Hektor Maille sinks deep into the vista of white clouds in a baby blue sky, thereby losing a couple of hours of time and, at the end of another long journey, allows the past to take the lead for once.

One Day in the Life of Odette Sissay

11.50: Port-Louis, Rue Thasard, Boucherie «Seugrem»

«I think our Hektor will soon be back in Santa Lemusa», Odette said, as she wound a piece of meat wrapping-paper around Oskar's finger and bound it with a piece of roasting string: «I wish to surprise him with a little welcome-home meal, and I'd like to make it really special. He loves your Tripes à la mode de Senpuav, your Banana-flower salad and your mango-shrimp cocktail with roasted mustard – in any case I have always received his compliments for it. He also likes your veal head, only he finds the vinaigrette could be a tad sourer. And Marie loves your coconut cocktail. I…»
«Oh, how's Marie?» interrupted the butcher and started to arrange the chunks of roast anew. He frowned as he did so, almost as if he had arranged the pieces of meat wrongly: «Did she like my cake?»
«I think she liked the last better, but she said nothing. Mercier on the other hand was enchanted.»

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