Romy works for an American company--specialised in sourcing. He is also a music producer, you can see one of his videos here http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_fRrUDMp3_g&h=xAQGh3R4Y You can see two of their older boys at the end of the video. His wife Delphine works for Air France in Marseille. After getting a history on the family, I decided I was also interested in this one. Every day I get another offer and they keep getting better and better. The Fagets live in Le Tholonet which is just a few minutes outside of Aix in a small gated community. They're offering me my own room, car, a second mobile phone with a french number, and 300 euro per month. What I would be required to do is get the kids ready for school and take them there, go to my own classes, pick the kids up after, make them dinner, play with them for a few hours, bathe them, then put them to bed. Easy peezy, right? I'm so used to doing so much more and with having two not-so-angelic younger siblings, I think I'll be okay, lol.
I agree to meet with Romy on the Cours Mirabeau the next day before class to check out his home and meet his wife. I meet him at the Carousel and he's sitting there with a moped and an italian helmet. He immediately lights up when he sees me, probably because I was a few minutes late and he was tired of waiting, ha haha. We exchange hellos and I immediately pop onto the back of his moped and we take off. I held on for dear life!!! My grip on the handles was almost painful because my nails were digging into my palm. I had not been on the back of a motorcycle/moped in years and had forgotten how free the ride felt. After a few minutes of enjoying the fresh french air and scenic countryside, we arrived at a huge gate. He punches in the code and we ride on in. His wife and youngest son Leonardo are already outside. I meet the two and immediately fall in love with his son. He is such a good, happy baby. What a blessing!!! His wife is beautiful with a classic Mediterranean look. She's extremely friendly and welcoming.
Romy takes me around the property, showing me my room and all of the amenities. The property has a lot of land, with only 5 houses in the community. You can easily see Mont Saint Victoire from their home. How wonderful would it be to just look out the window and see that everyday??? The Faget's closest neighbor is Christopher, an American professor in Aix. I meet him while he's in a towel just out of a shower, lol. Super friendly guy. I'll probably be hanging out with him a lot.
After all of the introductions, Romy and I sat down and talked about the job in detail. He was completely up-front about everything--all of the problems he had with previous au pairs, what he would like to see, and what I would receive in return. He re-iterated everything we had spoken about the night before and there was nothing new or different. I found comfort in the solidity of everything. After all of the questions had been asked and answered, Romy and I got back on the moped so he could show me where the boys go to school. It literally took a minute to get there. Another plus? All of the boys go to school in the same building, just in different wings. We headed back to Aix after that. Riding on a moped in the country is so soothing. I loved feeling the wind blow my hair with the sun beaming lightly on me. That ride honestly made my day.
Romy dropped me off on the Cours Mirabeau, we quickly affirmed that we were both on the same page and would like to move forward and went in our separate ways.
I went to class, then met up with my friends in CEA at Carrefour for happy hour. I told everyone about my new family and ordered a Kir to celebrate. It's a french cocktail made with white wine and black currant syrup. At this time, I realized I would have to tell the Philizors that I am retracting my acceptance of their job as well as tell all of the other families that I'm no longer interested in them...With numerous lunch 'appointments' to hang out with the potential families this upcoming weekend, I got nervous about having to cancel. This stressed me so much but I knew I was doing the right thing by agreeing to work with the Fagets. They are the best option for me.
After happy hour Kari, Danielle, and I headed over to Lydia and Maggie's apartment for dinner. Lydia made mashed potatoes, a quiche, and stuffed peppers. Danielle and I made our special salad. And, of course, Kari brought the wine :-) This dinner was the perfect way for me to relax until I realized I had to go home and tell Yann that I was leaving on Sunday...
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