LINKS TO A PRINTABLE TEXT DOCUMENT, IMAGES OF THE ORIGINAL WORK, AND EVIDENCE OF CERTIFICATION
Chris Larham’s piece of A Level French creative writing on the theme of strained family relations [35 out of 45, 2001/2002] can be opened in a print-friendly text document format here
An image of the first page of the original work can be seen here
An image of the second page of the original work can be seen here
An image of Chris Larham’s ‘A’-grade A Level French certificate can be seen here
| FRANÇAIS | ENGLISH |
Lettre d’un père à sa fille séparée |
Letter from a father to his estranged daughter |
|
À St. Etienne le 28 novembre 2001 Chère Annie, Salut ma fille couronnée de succès! Je t’ai vue hier en ville, et je dois dire que je suis très fier de toi – tu me sembles être vraiment mûre et belle, comme ta mère… Je suis désolé que je n’étais pas un bon père, mais j’ai perdu mon emploi [j’étais cuisinier pour le restaurant “Quick” à St. Etienne] et ta mère et moi ont commencé à trop nous disputer. À l’époque où je suis devenu chômeur, mon père est mort… j’avais besoin de temps seul. Donc, j’ai quitté le foyer, et je suis devenu SDF… Je suis allé au Centre communal d’aide sociale, et j’ai reçu de l’aide en forme de RMI. Ça veut dire que, chaque mois, je reçois 2,225F. J’ai cherché l’aide aux Restos du Coeur aussi, où ils m’ont donné des repas à un prix réduit. Pour avoir un peu plus d’argent, j’ai vendu les magazines de la rue: le Macadam, l’Itinérant et le Réverbère. Il est possible de gagner jusqu’à 500 francs par jour en vendant ces magazines. Si je pouvais chanter, je serais musicien ambulant, mais – en place de ça – j’ai fait la manche pendant les mois le plus difficiles… Pour logement, la mairie m’a prêté une garage vide. Cela m’a suffit. L’expérience de devoir porter des vêtements qui viennent du Secours Populaire; l’expérience de devoir faire des fins de marchés de temps en temps afin de manger – elles ont été bonnes pour moi; elles m’ont donné le temps de penser… Je me suis rendu compte que ma famille est la chose la plus importante de ma vie – j’adorerais te voir encore, Annie. Affectueusement, Papa Gérard [^] |
St. Etienne, November 28th 2001 Dear Annie, Hello my successful girl! I saw you yesterday in town, and I must say that I am very proud of you – you looked really mature and beautiful, just like your mum…. I am sorry that I wasn’t a good father, but I lost my job [I was a chef in the “Quick” restaurant in St. Etienne] and your mother and I started to argue too much. Around the time that I became unemployed my dad died… I needed some time alone. Thus, I left our family setup and became homeless… I went to the Welfare Community Centre, and I received financial assistance in the form of RMI. That means that each month I receive 2,225F. I sought help from the ‘Restos du Coeur’, who gave me meals at a reduced price. In order to earn a bit more money I sold journals in the street: ‘le Macadam’, ‘l’Itinérant’ and ‘le Réverbère’. If I could sing I would have become a busker, but – instead – I begged during the most difficult months. As far as lodgings are concerned, the town council lent me an empty garage. That was good enough for me. The experience of having to wear clothes from the charity shop ‘Secours Populaire’; the experience of having to trawl through market leftovers in order to eat – they were good for me… they gave me time to think… I realised that my family is the most important thing in my life – I would love to see you again, Annie. Affectionately, Papa Gérard [^] |
Forty-year-old father of three wonderful children [William, Seth, and Alyssa]. Works as an Assistant Technical Officer in the Sterile Services Department of Treliske Hospital, Cornwall. Enjoys jogging, web design, learning programming languages, and supporting Arsenal FC. Obtained a BA degree in English from the University of Bolton in 2008, and has continued to gain qualifications in a diverse range of subjects thereafter.
