Will My Husband Ever Be a "Very Happy Man"?

Pascal's favorite movie is a French film entitled Alexandre le Bienheureux (Alexandre, The Very Happy Man). It's about a hen-pecked, over-worked husband whose life takes a turn for the better when his nagging wife and her dour parents are all simultaneously killed in a car crash. At last, Alexandre will be left in peace!

His first act as a widower is to set all of the farm animals free. Then, in a stroke of ingenious laziness, Alexander designs a system of pulleys over his bed so that he can remain there "forever". True to his intention, Alexander stays in bed for weeks, 24/7: sleeping; eating cheese, bread and sausage; drinking wine; and playing his tuba. His little dog takes care of the shopping, trotting between the farm and the village market with a basket in this mouth to carry the provisions he "buys" from the local shopkeepers. The other village men folk become insanely jealous until a woman woos Alexandre out of bed and back to the altar. But Alexandre quickly "returns to his senses"; the movie ends shortly after he flees the church as a runaway groom.

Now as his wife, I suppose I should be highly insulted that this film brings him such delight. But, I don't really mind. In fact, I have this secret plan of one day finding a team of workers to create his own temporary over-the-bed pulley system for sausage, cheese, and wine. I'll present it to him as a surprise gift and leave him to a long weekend of being "bienheureux". As for me, I'll play the role of the little dog and head off on an extended shopping spree. The way I see it, we'll both be very happy indeed.