Separated ways

13.Stop named France

Hi! I decide I can keep you (and me) from reading what Penny really did, that I have to publish it today. No matter if I will write next chapter in this week to publish sonething else, I'm still too curious what you will think of the meaning of this story. Will you finally guess right in point what Separated Ways are resamble? It will have third meaning later on, but it is a surprise;) Hope you will be satisfy with this chapter for now

When she boarded the plane at the airport in Cardiff, Penny still didn't know what will await for her. When she sent an application for an exchange programe from a leaflet, which she got from her father few months ago, she didn't think she would have got accepted in just few weeks after her father's funeral. She didn't even think what she was doing, she just wanted to make his last wish come true. She hadn't saw herself on Chief Fire Officer position, but at least the exchange would give her some peace that she fought. 

In her hurry with taking care of all the things she needed before her half-year departure, she forgot to let her friends know. She left without the word, taking all her equipment with her, while only Station Officer Steele knew about her change in plans. She felt sorry, that she hadn't told anyone, but she promised herself she would write to them as soon as she would reach her destination. 

When flight with transfers ended, Penny was exhasted after spending long four hours in travel. Her destination was probably as beautiful as the one she remembered from her childhood. She fought to get where her father went on his exchange, but there wasn't an exchange destination to Paris from Cardiff this year. 

But Penny still sticked to France. Even if her languague had become a bit rusty over the years, but she managed to past the interview application quite communicative. So she managed to get a place at Nantes.  

It was good time after afternoon when Penny left the airport with her suitcase and a bag. She didn't realized how much space it could take to pack her uniform, helmet and breathing aparatus. Even if the city was laying near the coast, Penny was said not to bring her water uniform, so she left it hidden in the locker in Pontypandy Ocean Rescue Centre.         She looked around the airport for a moment until she saw a person asking around with a familiar leaflet in her hand. At first Penny thought it was another participant, but when she came closer to a dark blonde woman, looking at Penny's age, she realized that she mistook the signs. 

"They sent a girl" she excitedly ran to Penny, repeating happily with her French accent. "Welcome" she tried to read Penny's name from a card, but only managed something like 'sorry', while she began desperately searching through her phone. "Jenny?" She looked up again right on Penny's amused face. 

"I'm Penny" Penny replied. "Je connais le français. Nous pouvons parler français si tu veux (I know French. We can speak French if you want to)" Penny invented as they shook hands. 

"Ok" she just struggled her shoulders innocently, before she turned around and took a step away from the airport. "Je suis Émilie et je suis votre guide. Tu vais habiter chez moi aussi (I'm Émilie and I am your guide. You are going to live with me as well)" Penny's new friend quickly explained. 

"Es-tu pompier?(Are you a firefighter?)" Penny asked when Émilie fastened up her seatbelt in her car. 

"Oui. Et je travaille à la caserne Nantes, où tu vais travailler(Yes. And I work at Nantes firestation, where you are going to work)" she explained, as excited as she was she just couldn't stop talking. "Je suis très content qu'ils ont envoyé une fille. Ils envoient généralement des garçons donc c'est ma première fois (I'm so happy that they had sent a girl. They generally sends boys, that's why it is my first time)" she turned off the engine as they reached something that was probably Penny's new home. The small, one-floor house with white walls at the surburs of Nantes reminded Penny painfully of her own house, far away, in Pontypandy. "Je parle trop, n'est-ce pas?(I'm talking too much, aren't I?)" She asked worriedly when Penny didn't answer. 

"Non, je suis desolée. J'ai perdu dans mes pensées(No, I'm sorry. I lost in my thoughts)" Penny quickly denied. She didn't want to, but Pontypandy was her real home. And only when you're away, you realize such things. 

"C'est bien(That's fine)" Émilie turned around before she opened the door in front of Penny. "Welcome to your new home" she let Penny go in first. 

A large living room after a small hall was brightly painted on green while the wooden furniture was perfectly underlined with surveniers from around the world. 

"Tu as été dans tous ces endroits? (You have been in all those places?)" Penny asked surprised. There was the coloseum from Rome, the Eiffel Tower from Paris, the Statue of Liberty from New York, to be exact the souvenirs were from half the world. Some small, some bigger, some were with photos, some where with none, but one caught Penny's heart the most. Painted on a stone Castle of Cardiff. So familiar, yet so strange to see it so far away from home. 

"Mon père a été (my father was)" Èmilie smiled painfully, visibly trying to avoid Penny's gaze. "Allez, je vais te montrer ta chambre (Come on, I'll show you your room)" Émilie changed the subject, as she pulled Penny back to the hall and opened the door on the left right after the living room. The room was small, but cosy. The bed was made up, a small desk and wardrobe were there as well. "La salle de bain est au bout du couloir, tandis que ma chambre est en face de la vôtre (The bathroom is at the end of hallway, while my room on the opposite to yours)" she explained before she turned to the door. "Je vais te donner du temps. Demain tu verras à quoi ressemble le travail à Nantes (I'll give you some time. Tomorrow you'll see what work in Nantes is like)".

"Definately nothing like in Pontypandy" Penny muttered joking to herself when she was left alone in her new room. She hid her bag in the wardrobe and took some neccesity things from her suitcase, before she opened her phone only to see that her battery went dead.