Maud is about to celebrate her 88th spring. She feels the cold touch of death, but it doesn’t scare her; it’s her turn. Yet, she wants to share her story before she goes. Aunt Blanche, her stepfather’s sister, told her about my conversations with her parents, Etienne and Célina LE PETIT. She’s concerned about my age and health, but everyone reassures her. Miss Rose will visit her on March 10th, 1955, at 213 Léonard de Vinci Street in Calais.
On this early afternoon, the wind, sun, and clouds playfully battle like children. With his powerful breath, Eole scatters the stratus and stratocumulus clouds, and the sun shoots its rays. But soon, the cumulo-nimbus clouds take over the sky again. Spring is here, whispering to those who recognize it. I smile and head to the bus stop. Ten minutes later, I alight at « La Nation ». A hundred meters more, and I’m in front of a small house with green shutters. I knock, and a petite, shriveled old woman opens the door. « Miss Rose! You came! » Her fears forgotten. « Please, sit next to me; I made some lemonade. » I follow her into the kitchen, where two chairs are pulled up to the stove. One is hers, cushioned and covered with a throw, and the other is for me. She sits, adjusts a pillow behind her back and a blanket on her frail legs. Without a word, she pours me a drink. A timeless moment. Between sips, she smiles at me, her eyes bright, content. We put our glasses down. I will remain silent and let her speak.
« I was born in 1867 in Ilford, a suburb of London. My father, Patrick Beckett BELLEW, came from a prominent Irish family loyal to the British crown. I never knew him. He died at sea in 1869, a captain in the merchant navy. A year later, my mother Ellen WINT remarried a Frenchman, Georges LE PETIT. For three years, my brother Francis and I lived with our aunt Frances ADAMS. We joined our mother and stepfather in Calais in 1873. By then, we had two brothers, Georges and Etienne. Once more, we had a family. My mother gave birth to five more children. Money was tight. My stepfather, a decorative painter, often struggled to find work and wasn’t healthy. My mother had lavish tastes and found the financial constraints unbearable. » She took a sip and adjusted her blanket. Her eyes filled with sadness. « I was 16 when my little sister Rose passed away at 6, taken by a fever. We were devastated. My dear little Rose! » Her face brightened up with a smile. « That same year, I met my Léon, a tall and handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes. It was love at first sight. We married on October 27th, 1885, in Zutkerque. My mother kept moving: from Calais to Louches, then Zutkerque, Balinghem, and back to Calais. Léon and I lived with his parents for a while, which isn’t ideal for newlyweds. We had two wonderful children, Franck and Hélène. For Hélène’s birth, I was with my parents in Calais. My baby boy died from pneumonia at just eleven years old. » She paused, holding back tears, then continued, « My Hélène married a kind man from Guînes, Henri CHOCHOY, in March 1908. They gave us three wonderful grandchildren: Emile in 1909, Maud in 1910, and Emilienne in 1920. My son-in-law went to war in August 1914 but was discharged in 1917 due to lung issues. He passed away in 1932, leaving Hélène alone with my granddaughters. The Grim Reaper took away many loved ones. My stepfather passed in 1904, my mother in 1909. Then, on March 11th, 1944, my Léon left me during the tumultuous times of World War II. We just hoped for better days, but he was taken. My daughter, granddaughters, and Maud’s husband have showered me with love ever since. The pain faded, replaced by memories. It’s been eleven long years since I outlived him. I feel my time is near; my limbs are cold, but my heart is at peace. I’ll soon join my loved ones. » She went silent. Maud had dozed off. I gently kissed her forehead, left her a note, and closed the door softly behind me.
I adjust my coat against the chilly air and walk towards the bus stop, heart heavy but glad to have fulfilled this great lady’s wish.
Maud died on April 13, 1955.
A rebrousse temps généalogie 