Cannes-I am at the Cannes Film Festival playing my keyboard on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. People are attracted by the sea, music and movies. Some want to be in movies; some want to make movies. But there are many other jobs; such as vacuuming the big red carpet, Some one is always cleaning it, as if it must be immaculate for the movie stars, the royalty of the film industry.
Other jobs are selling tickets, ushering events and running food booths. and I do mean running. No where on earth have I seen fast food waiters and waitresses running as fast on the job; to the tables, taking orders; plunking down napkins and forks and knives,; others delivering glasses and jugs of water with the speed of a fire brigade--all done smoothly with a smile.
Busy people, know they can get fast food and get back to their job tout de suite. Black suits are the usual attire for actors, so I blend right in. at the next table sits a tall black-suited man in his 30s discussing his next day's itinerary that includes someone taking him out on his boat. My gaze shifts out onto the Mediterranean Sea where a dozen large white ships are anchored.
"Who owns these multi-million dollar ships?" I wondered. Perhaps movie companies!" I got the answer later that night.
about 11:p.m., I caught a cab home. The cabbie the night before got real lost. But this cab had a GPS system which tells the driver where to go; straight ahead or left or right, until in no time I was whisked through a complex maze of streets up through the hills to the nuns' convent where I and many others are staying.
I finished my Mass and night prayers at midnight and wandered out to the lobby. a couple of ladies from the Film Festival were just arriving home. "Bon soir! Where are you from?" I asked. "Los angeles!" they answered. "are you involved in the movie business?" "My husband Michael Mendelsohn rents out those big white ships in the harbour to movie companies, to have their parties, meetings, banquets, show off their movie stars and show their movies to clients."
I was in disbelief. I wanted to get a story for my column and the man who rents out these 5-star multi million dollar boats is actually staying in this 3-star nuns' convent in the hills. That's why they like it. They can get away from the glitz and just be with normal people.
I said, "Good night ladies!" Then I went outside to meet Michael. I expected to see a high powered Dean Martin hyped type. When the motion sensors turned on the lights, I found a pleasant man with a charming Irish face, sitting in a chair."
Michael graciously rose and offered me his chair, I asked "Would you like to go for a walk?" We struck off down the lane. I suppose I should have asked him about his work. Instead I asked, "What did your father do?"
"My father was a holocaust survivor at auschwitz."
"Wow!"
"How did he survive?"
"My father had 10 brothers who fled their home before the Nazis arrived. My father was the only one left at home to protect his mother. So they came and took my father away to auschwitz. a concentration camp turns men into animals. "They do anything to survive.
"But my father was different. He would help other prisoners. He would steal food to keep other Jews alive. But he would tell them, not to steal because they would get caught. and they did steal. and they did get caught; and they were punished and caned until their bones broke.
"Once my father was caned. But he put a pie plate on the side where he thought they might beat him. He was right.; and avoided having his hip broken. at other times he missed being at the front of the firing line.
"Do you think this could happen again?
"Yes! all should be on guard."
The Da Vinci Code has awakened the sleeping giant — Christians.
Michel quoted a plaque hanging in a public building in Washington.
"They came for the unionists, and I said nothing." "They came for the socialists and I said nothing."
"They came for the Catholics, and I said nothing."
"Finally they came for me, and there was no one left to say anything."
On that, the Jew and Gentile said "Goodnight!" and parted after the former asked, "Will you join me and my friends tomorrow night for supper at a Greek restaurant?" and, of course I said "Yes!"
To Reach Father Heffernan by CELL PHONE in Cannes, France Dial 011 33 685 8800 30
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