Fiction/Coming-of-age
Date Published: May 2024
Publisher: Film Valor
In this final chapter, Ron's story concludes from Reflections on the Boulevard (2023). Michael's wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron's journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with A Reservoir Man (2022)
CHAPTER ONE
A cool autumn breeze, in
the twilight, wrapped around our exile who sat on a bench in front of a
bookstore that resembled a place we might find in a Tolkien novel. On this
street, rue de la Buccheri, was the bookstore Shakespeare and Company. The
store itself was famous for housing the books of many great literary artists on
their shelves. They also supported any young or old artistic vagabonds by
allowing them to sleep in the aisles of the bookstore on makeshift beds when
finding themselves homeless.
Ron, who managed the store,
sat on this bench every evening thinking of Michael. Ron thought of things he
remembered and how much he learnt from Michael. He felt the emptiness in his
soul, yearning to have that connection just one more time. He had lived in
Paris for six years now, a brief time for an exile, yet he was free from a
society drowning in untruths; his refuge was the bookstore.
Just like every night, as
Ron prepared to close the store, he occasionally checked the front of the
store, looking for his friend. Then, he noticed another young man still looking
at books on the outside shelves.
Ron moved outside to get a
closer look at the late customer under the guise of moving the outdoor book
bins back inside. He suddenly noticed that the young man was putting a book
down his pants.
Ron raised his voice and
shouted for the thief to put the book back on the shelf. The young man, caught
in the act, ran away.
The young man sprinted and
tripped while running past the café. In this stumble, he decided to turn the
corner and make his way rapidly toward la Seine.
Ron, weak in the legs from
forgetting the spirit of his youth, had been managing bookstores more than
living life. His legs pumped forward. but with the awkwardness of an old man
who had forgotten how to walk. In a few seconds he was up to speed and ran faster
to catch the thief.
Near the corner, Ron had
missed his opportunity to slow and check for other people walking, so he
slammed into a group of women. He especially blasted into an old lady whose
groceries flew into the sky, and a yogurt splattered against a wall and the
faces of the other women. She turned to condemn her assailant, but he was
already on the next block in pursuit of the thief.
He spotted the thief at the
Notre Dame Hotel, out of breath, leaning against a pillar. Surprised at the
thief’s choice to stop here, he slowed down and let his feet pound the street
into a halt.
Ron grabbed at him but
still missed his shoulder.
“Give me the book back!” he
said, very loudly.
The thief just shrugged his
shoulder, a mocking smile. His smile made the act of chasing him through the
streets feel silly, as if this were a game that had been played and he took it
too seriously.
The thief looked at Ron and
asked, sarcastically, “What language are you speaking?”
“What do mean? I am
speaking French!”
Our thief laughed, turned
to a random man who walked down the street, and said, "This young man
thinks he is speaking French Go ahead say something to this stranger; he will
tell you are speaking some other language other than French!”
“I will call the police,”
Ron said firmly.
About the Author
Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.
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