Colleen

Nigel, our tour guide, greets us at Charles de Gaulle International Airport and herds our bedraggled group through the chaos and humidity of the Parisian summer morning to the apparent sanity of our coach.

I am seated at the front beside Colleen, a 76 year old woman travelling alone. 

Nigel, a distinguished English gentleman who has called Paris home for 35 years, imparts his wealth of knowledge whilst our driver navigates the 30km route to our hotel.

Paris is a city of 11 million people – almost half the population of Australia in one city!  It is made up of 20 arrondissiments with 2.4 million living in the city itself…

“Are we in Sydney?” Colleen interjects.  No Colleen, we are in Paris.

…the area of St Denis was named after an early bishop who was beheaded in Roman times…

“I don’t want to do this; I think I’ll go home”.  Colleen, it’s been a long flight, I tell her with my heart softly breaking.  You’ll feel better after a sleep.

…the World Cup stadium on the left holds 80,000 spectators…

“I don’t know where my suitcase is; do you think it’s on the coach?”  Yes Colleen, our suitcases are all on the coach.  The audible murmurings of concerned passengers are unnoticed by this poor, confused woman.  

…beware of Eastern Bloc immigrants who have come to Paris believing the streets to be paved with gold and are now faced with a harsh reality…

“Can someone take me to Central Station so I can catch the train to Goulburn?”  Colleen, I gently remind her, we are in Paris.  Do you have any children, I wonder as I try to make sense of it. 

As Colleen’s confused questions repeat themselves and Nigel’s repartee rolls on, the harsh reality of this sensitive situation is heart-wrenchingly felt by every man and woman on the coach. 

I wish I could say there was a happy ending to this tale but we have just been informed that Colleen was taken to hospital in an ambulance this afternoon when her inner turmoil became outward violence.  We can only hope and pray that she has a guardian angel somewhere in Paris who will ensure that she makes it home to Goulburn safely.