Parisian Story Time

Last night I got a rare opportunity to sit and chat with my brother Wayne. He told me of the time that he and his Dad went to Amsterdam, Paris, and London together. It should be stated that Wayne is the epitome of The Nice Guy, so that in this city that people claim hates Americans, Wayne's experience was completely the opposite of most tourists. I believe it's because he's tall and respectful and kind and who doesn't appreciate that?

Anyway, so Wayne and his father were wondering which bus would take them to Notre Dame Cathedral. A tiny old lady was walking past and Wayne asked, "Excuse me, ma'am, would you happen to know if this is the bus for Notre Dame?" The woman, who Wayne now discovered was rather intoxicated asked if they were Americans and when he told her yes, she broke out into a huge grin and exclaimed, "I LOVE Americans! You save us from the Germans when I was a child in the war and ever since then I have loved Americans. I (as she dramatically waves her arm above her head like Lady Liberty) will take you to Notre Dame myself! It's the least I can do for two Americans." Wayne didn't have the heart to tell her that neither he nor his father had anything to do with rescuing the French from the Germans.

And so this woman put them on the bus, sat next to them, talked of her childhood, then walked them around Notre Dame, pointing out its history and literally giving them the grand tour. Once inside, she sat with them, asked about their lives, and said a prayer for them both. As she walked with them outside and posed for photos with each of them, Wayne pulled his dad aside and said that they really should ask her to dinner with them tonight as a thank you for all her efforts. He of course agreed and as they turned back to ask her, she had vanished. Wayne said that they stood there in stunned amazement and questioned, "Did that all just really happen??"
(I asked if when they developed the photographs was it a picture of his father with his arm wrapped around an invisible figure, like James Stewart in Harvey. It wasn't, though.)