So it was no surprise to Monica that I didn't flip out when she calmly told me that, by the way, a stranger was going to be living with us for a while. She didn't know how long or what kind of criminal record this person had. In fact, she hadn't even met her.
Dave: "Her?" What's her name?
Monica: Bunny. Bunny Bedhopper. She's an adult film star who's desperate.
Dave: Really? Well, all right she can stay, but I get to keep my pillow and you two can't hog the covers!
All right her name isn't Bunny, it's not even Dimple, but we'll call her that for her privacy. She's Indian, 22-years old, and she wants to work in French-speaking West Africa. She came to Lyon to learn French after graduating from Virginia Tech and getting a position teaching English at a local university. She was staying with some girls, but her room had such a bad mold problem she couldn't breathe. So, she asked if she could move to the tiny room down the hall and initially they agreed, but then they had a change of heart and said she had to be out of the house by Saturday (3 days). Well, maybe something was left out of the story, but the result was Dimple didn't have a place to stay, was desperate, and a friend posted a message to the American club email list (on Friday). Monica saw that and immediately offered to help her out.
So, that explained the suitcases in the corner and the new products in the bathroom. Dimple actually turned out to be a model roommate. Every day she would fold up and put away the sofabed, clean up the bathroom, and generally made as little an impression on the living space as possible. She even offered to stock the refrigerator, we laughed and told her it was all hers since we eat out every night. Basically, we wanted her to have a base where she could make phone calls, have internet access, and be able to store her stuff without stress. Dimple for her part was very quiet and actually kind of depressed.
As the weeks dragged on Monica observed that this depression was probably the major reason Dimple was not able to find a place. Like any depressed person, Dimple didn't notice all the people who wanted to help her and she didn't feel like asking for help. A "perfect" apartment came up, but she needed to fill out a long contract in French. Another teacher at the school offered to help her, but Dimple didn't want to take her up on it. Another place required a "guarantor" - someone French who basically co-signs the contract. There are several ways to get around this, some people ask their boss or friend to sign. We got around it by convincing our landlord we were financially sound. Dimple's parents could provide this kind of backing, but again, "I probably won't get it." In fact, Dimple sounded so much like Eeyore that Monica was thinking even if she had been French, she wouldn't be willing to be her guarantor.
In fact, what was up with her parents? Weren't they worried about her? It turns out they were frantic but Dimple didn't really tell them very much, perhaps to keep them from stressing. They learned that she was now living with some couple from America she didn't even know. Aaah! How alarming! What kind of bizarre, predatory people would snatch some girl up off the streets? "Relax," Dimple told them, "Monica is Indian." And incredibly that did the trick. Apparently India does not have weirdos or predators. Well, whatever, I guess I could bask in the grace of Monica's heritage as in the same instant I too was immediately accepted as a good person.
As we were leaving for a trip, Monica overheard Dimple on the phone chatting with a friend say "if I'm here at the end of November, this will have been the place I've lived the longest." Hmmm, maybe this would be a good time to remind Dimple WHY she was here - to look for someplace to live. Dimple took this in good grace and by the time we had returned, miracle of miracles, she had found a place. In fact, a great place, and she was really happy. She's living with 3 other girls who only speak French (which is exactly what she was hoping for). We found a note on the table explaining everything, that she'd be back to pick up the rest of her stuff and give back the keys, and that sort of thing. She also left us a sketch of the Fourvière which we hung on the wall. Another interesting episode in France.
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