Today as I was walking along Rue de L’Universite, an old woman stopped in front of me and picked up a shimmering object from the sidewalk. It was a large gold wedding band. She held it up to the sky and said, ‘Thank you God!’, and kept walking. I passed her, maintaining my perpetual pout of indifference (very French), until suddenly I heard a call from a few feet behind me.
“Mademoiselle!!!”
The old woman, still holding the ring, came up to me and explained that she wanted ME to have the ring… stating that it was an omen I would get married soon, and that it wasn’t meant for her to find because she was so old. How adorable. I shook my head and thanked her, saying I would feel bad accepting it, and that it was her luck to find it. But she insisted.
Not one to reject a large gold object when it is forced upon me, I took it, and turned to leave. Then, in a benine manner, she asked for a little money to eat.
Hmmmmmmmmm. I gave her 3 euros. Somehow in the confusion of the moment the whole set-up had not dawned on me. This could not be such an elaborate scam.
I left, with the gold band on my thumb, still hoping that it was real gold. Unwilling to accept my gullibility. It had a mark on the interior! It was heavy! After a few hours of wear, however, I removed it to find a green thumb. So sad. Lesson to be learned: Don’t talk to strangers, even old women.
