While on vacation in Ogunquit, Maine, I remembered an old inside joke which provided its share of fun.

Here we are in Ogunquit for a long late-spring weekend. While my brother-in-law Yvon, my sister Danielle and I are browsing in a used book’s shop, Danielle turns around and shows me this book from a well-known French youth collection La Bibliothèque verte, looking somewhat incongruous among the tons of English literary works for adults. We are giggling uncontrollably. The subject would keep popping up during the following year resulting in the usual hilarity. Why didn’t I buy it, asked my sister? The following spring, back at the library, Danielle and I are running through the store—as the first one who’ll grab it will own it. We are flabbergasted, it’s not there anymore! Seriously, who bought it?!

The upcoming Christmas, I can’t help making jokes: “Can’t wait to receive the clown book.” Three weeks later, as the family gathered for my birthday—I thought I had opened all my presents—Yvon, suddenly all smiles, handed me a small gift saying, “Here is the last one.” Before even opening it, I shouted: Ma vie de clown! My sister then looked at me, kind of perplexed. And there it was—Danielle couldn’t believe it! And Yvon went on telling how he ran before us to buy the book, hide it in the car while we were trying to get over our disappointment and that he kept that secret for eight months. Funny guy, our Yvon!

Statistics

Letter Y: Less than 1% for the Hubou-Tourvilles’ first names.

Only one Yvette and two Yvonne!

The 2016 ChallengeAZ is proposed by Sophie Boudarel of La Gazette des ancêtres