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Soon after I began to play a tune, one of those I used to sing when I was an elementary school pupil, there came a woman with a baby buggy, she stopped a few yards in front of me as if she had forgotten pushing the buggy and looked at me surprised or wondering who I was and what it was that I was doing. I was glad that the young mother with her baby listened to my music that apparently made her curious. I wanted to greet her and, this being my first experience in a situation like this, I made a mistake and said `Allo` instead of `Bonjour`. Further, I kept on making mistakes and introduced myself saying `Je suis japonais et j’ai soixante-dix ans`. Then, looking bewildered and beyond belief, she hurried away from me as though she’d suddenly remembered how to push the buggy. I overheard her mumble to herself, - Soixante-dix ans !- as she was disappearing somewhere into crowds of people over there.
For a while, I wondered what I had done that had her leave in such a hurry. The way I behaved was obviously wrong. But, why? Is it because I introduced myself without being asked to? Was that a breach of etiquette? I don’t know. Suppose it had taken place in Japan, I would’ve behaved in a similar manner and said – もう七十になるんですがね、and would’ve had a young mother with a baby respond in kind, so to speak. Come to think of this, however, in Japan nowadays, it might be more than a bit difficult to think of a situation like this, I mean, a young mother with a baby would, if not never but 99 %, dare to come in touch with an old man like me unless she was musically oriented so much or had her friend or two around together with her so that she could muster courage to speak to me. Anyway, back to France again, probably I should’ve waited until she said something, or asked me some questions. In other words, I should’ve waited for a conversation to start in a very natural way.
Here came again, however, a man in his 30s or at least on the right side of 40 I guess, who stopped me from wondering about the young mother and looked likewise as curious as she did. I was glad again to know that my bamboo flute could attract people’s attentions and I made a mistake yet again.
In my eager attempt to explain to him the musical instrument I play I started speaking in French – Oh, what an audacious man I was! My French didn’t work at all. He looked impassively at me and nodded slightly to indicate that he found me totally incomprehensible and walked away.
I felt a little disappointed in myself, but pulled myself together and returned to my music. Somehow, I was able to play well this time and went on by myself with no audience. But, after a while, I noticed a middle aged man standing a few steps away from me. He made as if to pick his own pocket and then worked magic - or so it seemed to me as when he left I found beside me on the bench two coins lying glittering. Immediately I followed him with my eyes and saw him scurry down toward the metro entrance. `Merci beaucoup` the word came out of my mouse spontaneously. I felt so happy, but not so much for the money itself as for the appreciation he showed me by giving me the money.