The spring was in it's very begining and all the boulevards of Paris were full of green trees and young people who were as blossoming and wonderfull as the fresh spring flowers.France is the country,wich greets spring as no other does and at the spring time,Paris is the city wich cannot be compared with any other city.It's full of joy,full of laughter and full of love.So,the laughter was echoing everywhere,and the sound of joyfull songs flied over the roof-tops of that glorious town.The small group of young students listened the street-musicians.One of them,the young man,with long brown hair falling freely on his back against the fashion,with bright and kind smile,and steel-grey eyes enjoyed the show more than anybody else there.He was preparing himself for a long journey to the East,and he tried to memorise each small detail of that wonderfull day,that he spent with his best and closest friends.He smiled and laughed,and sometimes even joined the chour singing the popular tune with everybody...
So that was the spring of 1858,the last happy spring in Erik's life....
20 years later.
" Mademoiselle Christine Daee,we are going to be back at seven,so
please,do all the house-work and be ready with supper at seven thirty.
Mr et mdme Dubois."
"Oh,dear God!A servant!I am a servant!"
Young girl,with blond curly hair and green eyes,wich seemed enormous on
her pale and childish angel's face,riped the small peace of paper with
anger and dispair.She hid her face in her hands and sighed helplessly.
" Where am I going to?!!So that's it, Paris,the city of love and
richness!That's how you greet me!Not a star,not a diva,but a servant!Oh
father!If only you were alive...How could I manage all my problems all
by my self!I'm too young and I'm too unsure."
She was alone and she was scared,in the small cold room,with old
furnishings,wich was situated at the attic of the large and rich house
wich was built at the begining of Champes D'Elyses.
Christine Daee,came to Paris in search of happiness and riches of the
capital,wich were highly promoted in the province where she
lived.Everybody was talking about Paris,about it's streets full of rich
people,about it's theaters,about it's casinos,about it's sweet and rich
life,and everybody remained silent about it's gutters,clochards,thieves
and it's cruel rules of surviving.
Christine knew nothing about it ,so she was more than dissillusioned
when after the arrivance of the train she found herself alone in the
huge city,with one recomending letter and with 50 francs in her
purse.There was no-one she could turn to,and ask for help,and there
wasn't even a place for her to go, but a house,wich address was written
on the recommending letter, wich her friend's mother gave to her.She
recommended Christine as a music and singing teacher to her friend's
daughter.
Christine never saw a city, as wide as durty and as noisy as Paris seemed
to be.The streets twisted and turned,one like another,and it was
impossible to find out,where one street ends and begins the other
one.People were always in hurry,and they hadn's got a minute to answer
Christine's questions.
The bright colours of people'a clothes,the
multitude of faces, voices, sounds, all this rushed on Chrsitine,and
pressed on her.At first she was exited, but a few hours after,when she found
herself completely lost,she felt lonely, scared,and helpless.
She sat down
on the bench,and looked around helplessly.Not a single friendly face, not
a single open smile, only false and cold expressions on people's
faces.She lowered her head on her hands and though she tried no keep herself from
crying, the silent sobs escaped her throat.Suddenly,she felt
someone's hand on her shoulder.Christine winced and looked on the person who
disturbed her.That was a young boy,hardly over 13,dressed in
rags,durty but very nice.
"Hey,m'mselle!Do ya need s'me 'elp?You seem to be lost and I bet,you
are!"
The boy's face was round and very kind.He spoke with a terrible
language,and his clothes and he himself begged for being
wahsed,but Christine felt better,because of talking to someone.Christine
didn't know why, but she trusted him.The boy watched her with
curiousity.She smiled in embarassment and ponounced:
" Yes,I am lost,you're right.And I do need help."- She showed the
letter,to the boy and said:
" Could you show me the way to this house?I tried to find it,but there's
no hope for me to get there by myself."
The boy,looked embarassed and pronounced uneasily:
" I can't read m'mselle,I'm sorry."
Christine,looked on him surprisingly,and pronounced:
"Your parents should learn you how to read..."-the boy sighed:
"I have no parents,m'mselle.I'
m an orphan.I live with a good lady,she's a chamber-maid in a very rich house,she was my mother's frined and she keeps me with her."
Christine sighed with compassion and understanding, orphan, was the word she knew the meaning of well.
"Oh,I'm sorry."- she said, and tired to smile to the boy, though her smile was rather unatural.
Christine pronounced the address as clear as she could,and the boy
watched her face,as if he was catching every word she said.
" I know this house, m'mselle!It's the same place where the lady that I live with,works!!!Follow me!"
Happy,to find support and guiding at last,Christine followed the guy.
" May I ask,what is your name,boy?"
" Andre,m'mselle....?"
"...Daee,though,you may call me Christine."
"Christine...very beautifull name,m'mselle.I like it!"
"Thank you!And...where are you going after helping me to find my destination?"- She didn't know why she asked that question,may be,just to say something.She was a bit nervous.
" I'm going to visit my friend Anrio.He waits for me to tell him the news."
"And why should you tell it to him,is he ill , disabled or what?"
Andre's face became sad:
"He's blind m'mselle Christine."
" Oh...I'm sorry!It must be hard for him to survive in such a large
city...Is he an orphan too?"
Andre smiled,
" No,he isn't.His mother died,but I think he lives with his father,well,
at least with someone who sits in the carriage and takes him away from the
park,where he sits each evening,and who dresses and cares about him very
well."- The boy sighed:
"Anrio is lucky...He has father who's rich,who's kind and who loves
him...And I havn't got one..."
Christine touched the boy's shoulder,comforting him and pronounced:
" Don't envie him.He hasn't got something that is much more precious than
money,or even the gentle and loving father.He hasn't got the ability to
see what clouds are like,and what is it - the dawn.He knows that the
water is wet,but he doesn't know,of what color is it.He even,can't
remember his mother's face,only her voice and her name."
The boy nooded and then agreed:
" Yep..you're right,but still..."-He didn't finish.- "...we're on the place
m'mselle Christine.Here's the house that you've been searching for.It's amazing that you will work in the same place,where Nanette works!!!It's a small world you know!It means that we'll meet soon!I always come here for lunch."
Christine watched that large and luxurious building with exitement.
So that's the place,where she is fortunate to become a teacher!?What
kind of people live behind those walls?Here's what all the people in
Provance were talking about.Here's the rich life,of champain and
masquerades.
" Are you going to becone a servant too,as Nanette?"-
Asked Andre.
Christine laughed and said:
" Of course no!I'm going to become a music-teacher,that's much more
respectable...So you may go.Thank you very much."-The boy was watching
her,as if he was waiting for something.Chrsitine took a few coins from
her purse and said:
" Here you are.Buy yourself something.Thanks again."
"Merci,m'mselle."- Andre bowed and ran away,getting lost in a crowd.
Taking a deep breath,Christine knocked on the door.In response the harsh
and unpleasant voice pronounced:
" Enter."
And the door opened.Christine stepped inside and the door slammed behind
her back.Her new life began and there was no way back any more.