From all the Cevennes valleys of Gard and Lozère, five hundred people converged on Wednesday in the village of Plantiers, to accompany one last time Luc Teissonnière, 55, the boss of the sawmill executed several bales on May 9 by Valentin Marcone, one of his employees.
All passed in front of the sawmill of the drama by the road exceptionally closed to traffic in order to preserve the confidential nature of the ceremony at the Protestant temple.
The immediate family are seated inside, around the raw chestnut coffin, Luc's passionwood, as everyone calls it here.
The many friends took their places in the wind, in the open air, on benches or chairs in the town hall garden, or standing on the bridge.
With intense emotion, they listened to the songs, the poignant words of Romain and Chloé, Luc's two children, as well as those of Fiona, his wife.
“We needed this ceremony, this moment, to find each other.
To move forward, even if we will keep the lump in the stomach for days and days.
And Luke, you see, we will never forget him.
We all have a little of him in our houses, planks, beams or chestnut wood which we make the doors, ”explains Denise Vaquier, owner of the restaurant La Sariette.
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“Today, we miss Luc, we feel all the imbalance of this absence.
We are here, trembling, but solid.
We wish to attest to their presence among us.
The eyes of Vincent - the survivor and witness to the massacre - were burned by the blinding light of the Grim Reaper.
Tomorrow will be another day.
Tomorrow will be what we do with it together, ”exclaims with emotion, the mayor, Bernard Mounier.
"Braver than Luc, that doesn't exist"
“At first, I was in hatred and the spirit of revenge.
Today, I am in compassion ”, slips a villager with emotion.
“Braver than Luc, that doesn't exist.
In winter, with his machine, he cleared everyone's snow, well beyond his contract with the town hall, ”adds one of his close neighbors.
After the intense meditation, the coffin sped towards Faveyrolles, the hamlet of Plantiers, towards Luc's house. It is at his home that he will be buried after cremation, this Friday. That same day, Martial Guérin, 32, will in turn be accompanied on his last trip, to Saumane, the neighboring village.
