“Monique, you are so lucky to live in France…it must be wonderful.” Susie said to her “friend”
“Oui…it is….how you say…exquisite!” Monique replied.
“Could you teach me to speak French?” Susie asked.

“Oh Oui Mon Amie…that means “Yes my friend”

“It’s SOOO exciting having a friend like you Monique.”

“Susan…are you talking on the phone? It’s too late for that….now go to sleep…you have school tomorrow Dear!” Her mother had called from the hallway….”Yes Mom….I know….I’m in bed….Good Night!” …and Susie turned out the light and pulled up the pink coverlet with the fleur- di- Lis design that she’d gotten for her seventh birthday last week.

The next day Susie taught her school friends how to say “Yes my friend” in French. There were many conversations containing “Mon Amie”and “Oui” among Susie’s friends and they all seemed to love saying things in French as much as Susie did…AND they all wanted to meet  Susie’s new friend Monique.

“Well Monique DOES live in France….ah….Toulouse France to be exact. That’s in the south of France you know near the Riviera.” Susie advised.

Susie’s friends ( the REAL ones) were very impressed. They didn’t have foreign friends that spoke foreign languages and nearly all of them wished that they did. Each day her friends would ask “Did you talk to Monique last night?” Sometimes Susie did and sometimes she didn’t. Her friends seemed disappointed when Susie reported no conversations and no new French words or sayings for them at school the next day.

After about ten days or so Susie reported to her friends that Monique was going on vacation with her family and wouldn’t be calling for awhile. Susie’s friends were all disappointed to hear the news but knew that they’d just have to wait until Monique and her family returned to France after their vacation.

After two days of no “calls” from Monique, at about seven o’clock at night just after dinner, Susie’s doorbell rang. Mr. Jenkins,  Susie’s dad answered the door since it was homework time and Susie was up in her room studying.
Then she heard her father call out “Someone to see you Susan Dear…a Miss Monique….from France!”