The Eiffel Sisters (a short story to celebrate the Tower 135th Anniversary)

GEORGES

For the love of God, Mademoiselle Eiffel. We have received orders from

the Mayor of Paris to demolish the tower.

VALENTINE

Monsieur, there are three Eiffel sisters. I am one of them. Although Claire

is the leader, I am just Valentine. Valentine Eiffel.

CLAIRE

Dear Valentine, it’s been a long time. So stubborn of you, but not in the

way our father preaches. Your manners are inappropriate when

addressing Monsieur Georges, especially during our negotiation.

VALENTINE

I am punctual, just not a precise kind of person.

CLAIRE

Anyway, I wonder why you are invading this meeting.

VALENTINE

We’re in an open space where anyone can meet. Now I am meeting you

all, and as an Eiffel sister, I dare to take a seat, at least to appreciate the

view, and have some coffee.

CLAIRE

Well, I would rather have you nearby. Please take a seat.

VALENTINE

Thank you. I am waiting for Maurice.

GEORGES

Ms. Eiffel. I mean, Valentine... I haven’t heard of this gentleman you’ve

just mentioned. Besides, we are on the verge of negotiating the conditions

of the tower dismantling.

MAURICE

Good afternoon, Valentine. Oh, Ms. Eiffel. I mean, Madame Claire. What a

beautiful sunset over there. Monet would be inspired by such beautiful

scenery. And I am really talking about the tower. It looks like a monarch, a

maestro. It's firmly set on the Earth surface. The Iron Lady touches the

sun, like a queen. Or maybe like a little princess while the planet stops

rotating.

CLAIRE

Sweet little Valentine I am not supposed to meddle into your life, sister.

I'm not aware of the motivations that brought you here. Likewise, I ignore

the presence of this lovely gentleman. In other words, I can’t see the

reasons why he joined us.

MAURICE

I am pretty sure your father would love listening to my words. Despite his

hearing loss, Gustave Eiffel remains a true visionary. As for me, I am

Maurice, standing between you just like the bridges built by the hands of

Gustave Eiffel. 

CLAIRE 

You seem to be speaking to a teenager.

MAURICE

Much more than this, I would say. I am speaking a language that you can

all understand. And that tower over there shall be the universal language

of our just welcomed 20th century, the tower will speak a language every

Frenchman and Frenchwoman will understand.

GEORGES

A reversed myth of Babel; Very impressive, sir. Regardless of your

persuasion skills, the Eiffel Tower shall be dismantled before it destroys

the good old Paris landscape.

VALENTINE 

Calm down, Maurice. As an Eiffel sister, I don't want that destruction. And

I am sure that Claire is in charge of the contract. The license hasn’t expired

yet

GEORGES

I'm aware of it but the authorities....

VALENTINE 

I am sorry to interrupt you Monsieur. But first, let me talk about the Babel

myth you have just mentioned. I'll ask my sister Claire if she remembers

this coin. Dear Claire, do you remember when our father brought one of

these from England?

CLAIRE

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"

VALENTINE 

That's Newton's line. The coin says standing on the shoulders of giants. 

CLAIRE 

I understand your message. For sure, our father has seen further, far

before he could stand on the top of the town. He has foreseen himself on

it.

MAURICE 

Shall we ever see Gustave Eiffel on a coin?

VALENTINE 

I would bet that one day my father will be the face stamped on French

coins. 

GEORGES

That's why the mayor of Paris wants the tower down. Neither the Eiffel

Tower nor its creator will ever stamp any kind of coin or postcards in the

history of France. Impossible.

CLAIRE 

We shall remember that the small ones defeat the giants and get the

coins. Like the fairy tale.

GEORGES

Your words remind me of your father's audacity of being a great engineer,

yet with a poor sense of art. And I reinforce the tower is about to fall

down.

VALENTINE 

Before the license expires?

MAURICE

Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me. May I connect your antagonistic views.

Like an Eiffel bridge...

VALENTINE 

You don't need to when you have two Eiffel sisters here.

MAURICE

And I am acting as a proud worker of the Eiffel Company. Let's just make

some adjustments in the tower structure. The Babel Tower, I mean.

Certainly, a giant but not a fake one, for it hasn't been built to reach God.

Instead, it was designed to reach someone special. Someone like one of

the Eiffel sisters. And I apologize for having forgotten Laure Eiffel in this

conversation.

CLAIRE

We're not missing her.

MAURICE 

No matter what Georges might say, he ignores some facts. God is an

immortal being. Why would someone build a tower if reaching the summit

would bring nothing but humiliation?

CLAIRE 

It makes sense. Unfortunately.

MAURICE 

Ancient Babylonian sources prove that Babel Tower was built by a male

god all by himself. For one single reason.

VALENTINE

Which is...

MAURICE

To immortalize the woman he loves...

GEORGES

I'm afraid you've just said this God is immortal.

MAURICE 

Indeed, he is immortal.

VALENTINE

Dear Maurice. Could you hurry and finish your thoughts?

MAURICE 

Sure, I will. In short, Gustave Eiffel built the tower to honor his beloved

woman named Paris.

CLAIRE 

Paris was a male warrior. At least according to Greek mythology. 

VALENTINE

Let me conclude Claire. I'm just putting Isaac Newton back into the

conversation. The sun's going down, the streets are getting silent, and

everyone is listening to us. Paris won the Exposition Universelle due to the

Eiffel Tower construction. The poetry of Paris is eternal, but it doesn't

mean it will be forever classical.

CLAIRE 

People at the top of the tower keep throwing coins just to test Newton's

theories. Many scientific experiments will be carried out if the tower

remains high.

MAURICE 

Now it's my turn to bridge the gap. The Eiffel Way. Sweet little Valentine,

will you marry me?

VALENTINE 

If I marry you, I won't be called the Eiffel way. I won’t be an Eiffel sister

anymore.

MAURICE

So, will you? 

VALENTINE 

Yes, it's about time. 

CLAIRE 

I would not be surprised if you get married before sunset.

MAURICE

Yes, we will. The Tower will soon be celebrated as a romantic address.

I might not be the first one ever, but I will be the first man in history who

proposed by the tower. And got married right after. 

CLAIRE

Where's the priest?

GEORGES

I'm blessing the Tower as well as the newlywed couple. It will last forever,

in the name of our Father, and the name of the Eiffel sisters will be

everlasting.