The truth is still the
truth, even if no-one believes it.
A lie is still a lie, even
if everyone believes it.
As I child I couldn't
lie. One day I was at a friend's house having tea. My friend was
lying and wanted me to back her up. Her mother looked at me as I was
silent and said 'Fleure is like George Washington she cannot tell a
lie.'
To be honest I couldn't
understand the need. Oh yes I was a little goody, goody not because I
made a choice out of honesty but because I was terrified of
punishment.
I remember lying when I
was in the Girl Guides. Yes you know the organisation in which you
have to promise things. I can't even remember them now. I looked up
the promise on Google but it has changed and I would not take it
today. Anyway this is the lie I told.
We were away at camp. It
wasn't even proper camping as we had moved into a church hall because
we had been washed out by torrential rain. I was in the kitchen
helping to prepare a meal. Sausage and mash. It seemed to be taking
for ever. I have no idea why. Perhaps we were waiting for the
potatoes to boil. All I remember is that I was hungry. Hungrier than
I had ever been. I was in the kitchen alone with a roasting tray full
of cooked sausages which had been counted. There were two sausages
per person. I ate one. I couldn't help it. Of course there came the
enquiry. We were all confronted and asked to own up to the theft. I
couldn't do it.
When I lived in France I
was invited to a party. I was meeting most people for the first time.
There was one women who remains a friend to this day. Her name is
Sylvaine. The hostess was called Teresa. She saw that Syvaine and I
had introduced ourselves and were getting on like a house on fire.
Teresa said, 'Look at
those two. I knew they would get on.'
Then spitefully added, 'Of
course Sylvaine is more interesting than Fleure. She has lived in
America and the Caribbean and Engalnd and she is French. Fleure has
only lived in England and France.'
'Oh didn't you know? ' I
said, 'I lived in Russia for a few years.'
' Can you speak Russian
then? ' asked another guest.
'I did,' I said, 'but I
can only remember a few words like spasibo, pazalista and
dosidivanya.'
'Russia. That's still only
Europe,' said catty Teresa.
'Oh yes, I did live in
Brazil for a time. '
'Did you learn Brazilian?
' asked Teresa.
'Don't be silly,' I said.
'Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.
I learned Portuguese
there. Of course Brazilian Portuguese is not like Portuguese
Portuguese.'
'So you learned Portuguese
too, ' said another guest.
'I
did but again I have forgotten most of it. I remember,
'por
favor, obrigado, olá, adeus.' It's like everything else if you
don't use it you lose it.'
The
conversation moved on and the guests continued to party.
The
next day I was having lunch with a group of friends all of whom had
been at the party. Throughout the meal which incidently was a buffet,
people came up to me to chat.
'What
an amazing life you've had living in Russia and Brazil.'
Another
friend whom I had known for a long time said,' Good gracious Fleure I
had know idea that you had lived in Russia and Brazil.'
I
was astonished. The lying had been a spur of the moment thing. When I
was doing it I was sure that no-one would believe me. So when I
discovered that everyone had been taken in by my lies I was shocked.
It
seems that it is very easy to lie and a lie is still a lie even if
everyone believes it.
I
have to add that I did enjoy lying. So unlike George Washington, I
can lie and even enjoy it.
