In an age when encounters often seem dictated by digital algorithms and social networks, the story of the friendship between Mr. Lévesque and Mr. Bastien reminds us of the beauty and simplicity of human bonds forged in real life. Two Great Friends, brought together by chance and guided by their shared passion for communication, they offer us a vibrant testimony to what it means to make friends at any age. Through Mr. Lévesque’s words, he invites us to follow in their footsteps and discover the magic of the relationships created at Little Brothers.
Testimonial from a Great Friend for Armand Bastien.
I’m writing these few lines to bear witness to the privilege it was for me, one day, to cross paths with a retired film director with whom, without realizing it, I had something in common: a love of the airwaves, the magic of communication. I’m deliberately reminding myself of that lovely quote by CARAVAGE: “We’re made of the same stuff as dreams”.
That first meeting was as vivid as it was serendipitous: how can we explain what we don’t understand? It was, I remember, on rue Garnier: a meeting of the eyes, followed immediately by a pressing desire to communicate directly. It was he who took the initiative by coming to sit at the table I was occupying. And the conversation began as if we’d known each other all our lives. Whereas, discovering that we were both servants of the spoken word and of exchange, we immediately agreed that we both had an aptitude for speaking the same language. Recognizing that the world of television, which we have both served under two distinct poles: he as director and I as scriptwriter-researcher and interviewer on Radio-Canada’s SECOND REGARD. Which begged the question: What is the poetry of the day? But poet Marie Noel came up with her own recipe: nothing but “la vie chantée”.
Then, a few months later, circumstances being in our favor, we found ourselves with something at the heart of our still nebulous expectations, something that could be identified as renewed impetus. Something philosophical that could evoke: the prospect of transforming HOPE into HISTORY; in short, for the two of us: the most beautiful avenue in the world! That’s when I remembered Prévert, once quoted by Jean-Louis Trintignant:
“What if we tried to be happy, if only to set an example?” .
What we have in common: we’re both communicators, both fond of rare moments to add to our adventures. We both live on the impressive Sherbrooke Street, but on opposite sides of town: he in the east of the city, and I in the west. Here’s an anecdote: around Valentine’s Day, on rue Garnier again, we were offered a French chocolate capable of wowing our taste buds. So Armand spontaneously asks me: “Shall we swap boxes? No sooner said than done, bearing in mind that on the packaging, in addition to the name, each person’s personal telephone number was mentioned. So, all we had to do was contact each other. As you can imagine, the first phone call was a little awkward, as we didn’t want to bother each other. And then it was the electronic avenue that took over, the famous e-mail; whereas in addressing a word to him, I had to accentuate the character, because my friend Armand suffers from macular deficiency; and that obviously, I chose first to be friendly rather than annoying… for his eyesight.
And then, at Easter 2024, it was the apotheosis of being together again: at the same table, which we wouldn’t have exchanged for anything in the world. And then, we were asked for a brief interview, as an aside, outside the reception room. Whereas we were privileged to have had this experience, which prompted us to mark this very moment as an EVENT in our lives. And then, who knows what lies ahead? Suffice it to quote Camus: “Great ideas come into the world on dove’s legs”. Remembering that, in shared relationships, carefully nurtured with balance and good taste, the “measure” par excellence is always the other. In short, if necessary, nourish ourselves with quotations, if necessary, to embellish our daily lives, trying to illuminate, if possible, as much as possible, the citadel, the wall of the Other; if only, as we secretly aspire, “we are – both – thirsty for the same promise”.
True friendship: a rare fabric to be wrapped in blue paper, as our grandmothers of yesteryear used to do. We’d like to make a pact with the Little Brothers’ motto: “We need more flowers than bread”. Dear Armand Bastien, what can I wish for you (yes, we’re on first-name terms) other than the same outlook I have for myself: a happy tomorrow… Kenavo! As we say in Brittany.
This text was written by Gilbert Lévesque, A.L. ｜Compagnon de route
