emplette
Monday, November 06, 2006
Fruit and vegetable crates at a corner market in Orange (Vaucluse).
une emplette
(om-plet)
noun, feminine
a purchase
When Max and his soeur cadette, Jackie, offer to ride their bikes to the bakery, I request a little detour along the way. "Please stop by the supérette. We're out of toilet paper!"
The kids wrinkle their noses, complaining that they'll look carrément ridicule shopping for le papier WC. But not wanting to lose the right to ride to town, they quickly come up with a compromise.
"Can we get Sopalin instead?"
I'm not crazy about the paper-towel idea, but have to give the kids credit for some creative problem-solving.
Half an hour later, brother and sister return from les courses with a few unexpected purchases. Jackie, her cheeks crimson from the cool autumn air, hands me a package of toilet paper.
"It smells like peaches!" she says. "Sens-le!"
I sniff the fruit-scented TP. It does smell good! Still, I am suspicious. How did she suddenly muster up the courage to be seen in the toilet-paper aisle? And what is that in the other bag?
As if on cue, Max pulls a bottle out of his sac à dos.
Wine? Jean-Marc, walks into the room. He is as confused as I am.
"Pour faire plaisir à Papa," our 11-year-old Max explains.
Jean-Marc examines the bottle, amazed at the coincidence: the Côtes du Rhône wine is from the area to which we will be moving this summer!
Busy reading the label, Jean-Marc seems unfazed by the fact that his child has managed to buy alcohol. More than fazed, I am dying to know a few details about the booze purchase.
"It's a 2004," Max is busy talking wine with his dad. "It cost 6 euros 80 for the bottle!"
"But Max," I question, 'How is it that the store clerk let you buy wine?"
"I told him it was for my dad."
My eyes shoot over to Jackie. Eh bien! That explains the toilet paper confidence. She must have told the clerk that the TP was for her mom!
***
Putting away the groceries, I have a change of perspective and am no longer embarrassed about the toilet paper. All it takes is to imagine the following Could Be Worse scenario:
Early Sunday morning at the supermarket. Two little kids run up to the check-out line (peopled by all of our nosy neighbors!), and plunk down a bottle of wine. In breathless voices they explain, "It's for our Mom!"
Your Edits Here. Is the story clear? Better to leave off the final paragraph? ("It's for Mom!" may be a strong enough punch line, no? Thanks for your thoughts here in the comments box.
French Vocabulary
la soeur cadette
little sister
la supérette
small supermarket
carrément ridicule
completely ridiculous
le papier WC (also le papier toilette)
toilet paper
le Sopalin (from "Société du Papier-Linge")
paper towel
les courses
errands
sens-le
smell it
le sac à dos
backpack
pour faire plaisir à Papa
to please Daddy
Côtes du Rhône
wine grown in the Rhône region of France
eh bien!
well!
DEVENIR MECENE - BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER
Ongoing support from readers like you keeps me writing and publishing this free language journal. If you find value in this website and would like to keep it going strong, please know your donation towards this effort makes all the difference! A contribution by check or via PayPal (links below) is greatly appreciated. Merci!
♥ $10
♥ $25
♥ Or click here to send the amount of your choice
To purchase our memoir, THE LOST GARDENS click here.