Figure 1.--This is Alain in 1953 when he was 9 years old. He wears a red, white, and blue button-on sailor suit with a beret. My uncle often took me on his officials trips. Here he dressed me in a smart sailor suit for a visit to a naval base. As yoiu can see, I was very pleased with myself.

My uncle because of his position, often entertained and hosted parties and other gatherings. While living with my uncle I would often be presented to our guests. When I was younger I usually was dressed in rompers. As an older boy I wore short pants suits. Some of my uncle's guests were very important persons of this period. I was very happy with my uncle and while I was very young I knew and liked that my uncle was an exceptional "Monsieur". Many people were very nice to me and I came to feel that this ambiance was normal. At this time my uncle socialized with many VIPs and I perfectly remenber this period of my life. I remember going through some of my old clothes that I found a few years ago in my uncle's house. It was in fact very emotional for me. I reconized some of them. I also noticed that almost all of the clothes weren't ones made in my parents factory. The only exception was my last romper suit. I think my uncle preferred to buy items himself or have them made. Perhaps they were gifts of his relations. I had a very large wardrobe ("trosseau") for a boy my age. This was not very commom for a boy at this time. Clothes were expensive and the economy had not yet recovered from the War. Many did not yet have good jobs.

Our Family

There were things that were not often told to children at the time. I do not really know to this day why my uncle took me in. I was never really told at do not remember asking a lot of questions as a boy. My parents loved all their children and could aford to have kept me. My uncle was alone. His wife died several years before the War and he never married again, although I remember some attractive women that were often very close to him. My parents told me that he didn't remarry because of me. It might be. Why? In a ceratin way he looked on me as his own son. It is true after the War it was common to see childen raised by their granparents and even others members of the family. This was the result of the War and so many children were involved that it was accepted as quite normal. My own case, however, does not seem to be associated with the War.

My Uncle's Home

There was a lot of room in my uncle's home. I had two rooms. One was for sleeping and the other for play. I still have some toys when I was a garçonnet. On the ground floor of his house he had a room for activities. In the living room when they had guests I couldn't stay without approval. My uncle also had an office in his house. Here I couldn't enter without being invited by him. It all sounds rather formal today, but I was a very well behaved child and there were never any real difficulties with this. At any rate, mu Spanish nanny was over looking over me.

Spanish Nanny

My uncle had a live-in Spanish maid, really more of a nanny for me. She was called " ninara ". I remember that she was very attentive to me. She was always around me, rather like a Nanny. This continued until I was about 12 years old. She came from Spain. After a long time in France she was unable to speak French. She was my uncle's maid, but in reality her main work was to care for me. She did that with much kindless for 9 years, from about the time that I was 3-12 years old. It was rare for a nanny to stay with a child that long at the time. She loved me and I loved her. she was always behind me. When I was very young, she offten slept in a separate room next to mine. Later she had her own accomodation. She was not too stric, always very tender. I recall when my uncle was away, because I was affraid of the night when I was young, I crawled into bed with her seeking some reassuring. she would cuddle and reasure me and then tuck me back into my bed for the night. She gave great attention to how I dressed and looked. That was very important to my uncle. I remember that she was, for example, very attentive to make sure that the creases in my short pants were well done. Actually she had a great deal of work to do. She did not have to clean house. My uncle had help come in to do that. She prepared my meals and watched over me. Some amusing situation: she spoke to me in Spanish. At first I would answer in Spanish. Latter I refused and I began answering in French, I'm not sure why. I probably decided that Spanish wasn't my language. When we were in Austria it was rather confusing. When a person spoke in German, I translated for her into French and often she answered in Spanish. I have to say she was able to understand French perfectly. I'm not sure why she didn't speak French more. My uncle himself could not speak Spanish very well.

Every Day Life

My life with my uncle was very different than my brother's life with our parents. I was never allowed to ply out on the streets alone with friends as many boys did. My parents allowed my brother to play with his friends on the street. My brother was often spanked by my father and I was much afraid of that. A remember a day in 1955. I had just come back from Austria. I contacted fati (my uncle) because I was afraid of that and one or too day after he came to our house and had a big discussion with my father telling him that they should never hit me. Otherwise I would back to live with him. Dispite that often when he was in Paris I went to live at his apartment, and it may be that my Parents did not like this. My school was easily reached with the subway at this period.

Social Gatherimgs

My uncle because of his position, often entertained and hosted parties and other gatherings. While living with my uncle I would often be presented to our guests. When I was younger I usually was dressed in rompers. As an older boy I wore short pants suits. Some of my uncle's guests were very important persons of this period.

Happy Time

I had a very close and affectionate realtionship with my uncle, much closer than with my father. When I was alone with my uncle, he spoke to me quite often in German and called me " Schätzchen ". (It's a very tender word.) I was very happy with him uncle and while I was very young I knew and liked that my uncle was an exceptional "Monsieur". Many people were very nice to me and I came to feel that this ambiance was normal. At this time my uncle socialized with many VIPs and I perfectly remenber this period of my life. My uncle was very tender with me, rather like my mother. My father in contrast was much stricter. Fati never spanked me all the time I was with him. He did insist that I behave properly, epecially when we had visitors.

My Clothes

I remember going through some of my old clothes that I found a few years ago in my uncle's house. It was in fact very emotional for me. I reconized some of them. I also noticed that almost all of the clothes weren't ones made in my parents factory. The only exception was my last romper suit. I think my uncle preferred to buy items himself or have them made. Perhaps they were gifts of his relations. I had a very large wardrobe ("trosseau") for a boy my age. This was not very commom for a boy at this time. Clothes were expensive and the economy had not yet recovered from the War. Many did not yet have good jobs.

Aalain