French Escape. Barbara McMahon
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master the skills.
She hoped she was doing the right thing in letting her son try this. She knew he had heard so many stories from his grandfather about the climbs he and Phillipe had done, he equated all climbing with his father. She should talk more about Phillipe’s work and diffuse the focus on his hobby. His passion, as it were.
Before they left their quarters, she caught Alexandre and held his face between her hands, making him look directly at her. “Listen. You must do whatever Matt tells you, understand? He’s the expert. He’ll keep you safe, but you have to listen to him.”
“I will listen to him,” Alexandre promised solemnly.
“If not, we stop and come straight home,” she finished.
“Okay. I’ll listen.” He went racing out of their area into the lounge.
“Matt, Mama says I have to listen to you. I will—really, really hard.”
Matt was standing near the French doors. He nodded at Alexandre’s comment, then looked beyond him to Jeanne-Marie. She felt the butterflies kick up a notch, but wasn’t sure if it was from meeting his dark gaze or the thought of letting her son climb a cliff.
“I thought we’d drive to the trailhead,” Matt said.
“Fine, you’re in charge.” She bid Rene goodbye. The teen had come early to be there when they left.
In no time, the three of them were walking along the rocky trail that skirted the base of Les Calanques. The sea sparkled in the sunshine. The cliffs towered over them, undulating with folds and crevices. The heat of the day reflected from the rock.
“What did you learn this morning?” Matt asked Alexandre as they walked.
The boy began repeating the words of caution and preparation Matt had told him.
“Good memory,” Matt said in some surprise. The child had been listening.
Jeanne-Marie was pleased at the effort Matt had made with Alexandre. He had drilled him on the safety features. She didn’t know all the ones her son repeated. Phillipe had given her very little instruction, intent more on getting on with the climb.
Was Matt taking extra care because Alexandre was so young? Or was he naturally prudent? She knew from the way Phillipe had talked that he liked taking chances. She suspected Matt got the same adrenaline high from climbing, but took a bit more care to make sure he’d return in one piece.
They reached a sloping hummock that led right to the path. Matt stopped and studied it for a moment, then looked at Jeanne-Marie.
“This is the one I thought he could do.”
She nodded. The hill was steep, but not sheer by any means. There were plenty of rocks to hold on to and even some small trees growing from cracks. She could almost walk up it herself without difficulty.
“This would be perfect,” she said with genuine gratitude. She wouldn’t have to worry about her son on this. Or herself.
“Okay, Alexandre, now listen carefully,” Matt said, stooping down to be at his level. “We’ll look over the entire hill first. Decide which way we want to go. Then once we begin, we’ll look ahead several holds to make sure we always have a way to go. Understand?”
The boy nodded, excitement shining in his eyes.
Matt pointed out rocky protuberances they could use, some sturdy plants, some suspect. Cracks where a foot would find purchase.
Matt rose and looked at Jeanne-Marie. “Any questions?”
“Nope, I’m good to go.”
“You’re climbing? I thought you just wanted to observe.”
“I’ve been listening. I think I can master this. Maybe I’ll find out what all the fuss is about. Like you said, if Alexandre and I have activities in common, we might draw closer.”
“Then follow us up. I want to stay near him.”
Matt had Alexandre go first. Pointing out handholds and where to put his feet, Matt never was more than a foot or two away from him. Close enough to help out if anything went wrong. Close enough to catch him if the child slipped, yet giving him enough space that Alexandre would think he was doing it all on his own.
Alexandre followed Matt’s instructions, climbing up the steep incline slowly and methodically.
Jeanne-Marie waited until they were well ahead and then she began her own ascent, looking ahead like Matt had instructed. It was actually fun to be going from one rock or knob to another, almost like climbing a ladder. The rock was warm beneath her fingers, the sun hot on her head. After a few feet she felt a spark of elation. She had hated the thought of this for so long, but found it was enjoyable. Another place to stand, reach up, hold on and step up.
She might never want to go up a sheer cliff or climb a mountain, but for a gentle scramble, this was turning out much better than she had expected.
“Mama, I’m climbing!” Alexandre called, looking over his shoulder to her.
“Pay attention, Alexandre,” Matt said. “Looking around can cause a distraction. Focus on the rocks.”
“Okay.” He climbed some more and finally reached a wide ledge. Climbing over to sit on the flat portion, he grinned as Matt joined him. “I did it. I climbed!”
“Yes, you did a great job.”
Jeanne-Marie reached the ledge, looking at the two satisfied males sitting there. “I did it, too,” she said, scrambling onto the ledge. It was over a dozen feet long and at least six feet from lip to back wall. A shallow cave seemed carved out behind them. Looking up, the next stage of cliff was steeper.
She sat on the edge, letting her feet dangle. They’d come almost thirty feet. Not a huge distance, but she was grateful for the attention Matt gave her son. “This is fabulous. Look how far we can see, almost to Africa.” She looked at Matt. “I can’t thank you enough. I can almost see what drives climbers.”
He nodded. “The more familiar you become, the more you want a bit more of a challenge.”
“Maybe. But for now, this suits me perfectly. Alexandre, you did so well! You’ll have to tell your grand-père. He’ll be proud of you.”
“Maybe he will take me climbing.”
“I bet he will.” She thought about how he’d lost heart after Phillipe’s death. But a gentle hill like this one would be perfect for him to spend time with Alexandre.
“Now are we climbing to the top?” Alexandre asked, jumping up and looking toward the rim.
“NOT TODAY. We still have to get back down, and it’s harder,” Matt said. “You have to feel for your toeholds, because you can’t see like you can going up.”
Alexandre went near the edge and looked over. Matt casually reached out his hand and took hold of the child’s arm. “Not too close,” he said.
Jeanne-Marie felt another wave of gratitude toward the man. He was patient and alert. She knew Alexandre was safe around him. And this climb had opened her eyes about a lot of things.
In thinking about Phillipe, she knew he’d never have been as patient. He hadn’t been with her. Would he have pushed Alexandre beyond what he was capable of? Or left him behind because he wasn’t as skilled? Would he have taken time to teach him?
The trip back down was harder. Matt went first, and then coached Alexandre. When Jeanne-Marie looked over to try to plan her descent, she couldn’t remember the way she’d come up. It looked steeper than it had coming up. Now she wasn’t sure where she could find a toehold or how to make it down without falling.
“You’ll