December 2014
15 year old Phillip Timmens sat on the floor in his room, on his computer. He had been obsessed with the Les Miserables novel, and had seen the musical. Here in Northern Virginia, he was a total Francophile. France was his favorite country, he spoke French fluently, had visited there 2 years ago, wore a beret, hung a French flag in his room, and ate French food regularly. He loved the novel, but liked Little Cosette the most of all his characters. The teenager had loving parents and grandparents, and an 11 year old brother, but longed for a little sister. He hated child abusers more than anything else, and wanted to rescue Cosette from the innkeepers who mistreated her. The teenager had built a time machine that his family knew about, and had traveled back to 610 AD, 2001, 1863, 1945, and 1776. Now, he decided to travel back to December 1823, 191 years in the past. His destination was the inn at Montfermeil. He went into the machine, sent the date, and off he went.
When he arrived there, it was a cold, snowy night. The village was small, and the locals were on the streets, looking at stalls set up for Christmas. He had landed in a tree, and climbed down, leaving the time machine up there. Phillip ignored all of them, looking for the inn. He finally found it, the Sergeant of Waterloo. Phillip knew much about that famous battle, visited the site, and read books on it. To make the experience really cool, he had brought a book on the battle from Osprey Publishing called Waterloo 1815- The birth of Modern Europe Campaign Number 15. He walked into the inn. It was crowded and nosity, with men drinking at the tables. A woman approached him.
"What can I do for you, Monsieur"?
Phillip responded back. "Bonjour, Madame. I would like a table, with some bread please".
She nodded' "Any wine"? Phillip shook his head. He was too young to drink and hated the taste.
She led him to a table, and he sat down. Madame Thenardier was looking at her husband, who knew how young their guest was. Phillip had brought French money with him, and knew how to use it. He looked for Cosette. He saw a child working in the kitchen, but then it disappeared. He thought that was her. He looked for Eponine and Azelma, the Thenardier girls. He did not see them. He took out his book on Waterloo, and started reading it. Madame Thenardier brought his bread, and he was eating it, when he heard her yell at a little girl. He looked up to see Cosette, and she made him almost cry. Her blonde hair was dirty, her only dress was a filthy rag that was full of holes, and she was covered in soot and dirt, and bruises and welts from her beatings. She was barefoot, her little feet red with chilblains. Madame Thenardier had a whip in her hand, and a bucket in the other. Phillip listened closer.
"Please Madame, don't send me out in the dark and cold, please don't"!
"I will beat you if you don't. Shut your face, or I won't be nice! Go and buy bread from the baker as well"!
The girl tearfully nodded, and walked out the door into the cold night with her bucket. Phillip could take this no more. He got up and walked out the door after her, book in hand. Nobody noticed him. He followed her into the forest. She cried out in fear and ran behind a tree when she saw him.
"I won't hurt you", Phillip said. "Come out Cosette, please"?
She came up to him. "How do you know my name, M'sieur"? Phillip smiled. "I have read about you Cosette. My name is Phillip, and I am a time traveler".
"A time traveler? What is that"?
"I will tell you later Cosette. Does your mistress treat you well"? He knew the answer to that question.
She started to cry. "No Monsieur Phillip. Madame beats me and makes me work all day. She never lets me play".
Phillip felt sorry for her, and hugged her. "Cosette, do you want me to take you away from here and become my little sister"? Cosette smiled "Oh yes Phillip I would love that"! Phillip took her hand. "Follow me". He led her back into the village, and she stopped to stare at a beautiful doll at one of the stalls. Phillip had never seen a better looking doll. "Cosette, do you want that doll"? She nodded, and Phillip bought it from the dealer. He wrapped his coat around the shivering little girl, who thanked him in a whisper. He had carried her empty bucket, and they walked into the inn together. Madame Thenardier greeted Phillip again. "Hello Monsieur, I was wondering where you went". She looked down at Cosette and glared. "Your bucket is empty. And where is the bread"? Cosette gasped in fear. "It was shut Madame". Phillip had hid her doll in his coat, lest the Thenardiers take it from her. Madame Thenardier grabbed Cosette's wrist, and dragged her roughly back into a corner. She pulled down a whip and lashed the cowering girl huddling in the corner, who cried in pain.
"Madame, stop"! Phillip held up a 30 franc piece. "Take it and stop hurting that child". Madame took it with greedy eyes, and Cosette rushed over, thanking her savior. Cosette was crying, and Phillip addressed Madame Thenardier.
"Look at what you have done to that little girl, Madame. She is an angel who never did anything to hurt you, and you still abuse her. You beat her, and she has no good shoes or coat in this snow. And I doubt you feed her much either, judging by how thin she is. You should go to jail for child abuse". Madame scowled at him, and was not about to be talked off by a sassy teenager.
"Monsieur, her mother is a whore who won't pay us for her care". Phillip snorted. "Care? I have seen pigs treated better than her. To satisfy your money desires, I have 100 francs here. Take them, and don't ever hurt a child again. I am taking her away from you". He threw the money at the woman, who rushed to grab it. He took Cosette by the hand, and led her out the door. They climbed up the tree into the time machine, and he set it back to 2014. Cosette sat there, amazed by what she was seeing. Phillip came over to her. He had 2 doughnuts in his pocket, and he gave them both the child. Getting down to her level, he explained to her he was from 21st century America, and about his family. He was excited. To have a little sister, and one from France none the less! She listened. "I am very excited about meeting your family Phillip". He smiled. "I hope you will enjoy it". But he knew she would be confused at first, living in a time period 190 years after her own. Once they got into his room, he showed her everything. She had no idea what his computer was, so he explained it to her.
"I am going to take you to meet my family now, Cosette. My Mom homeschools me, would you like to be taught by her too"? Cosette grinned. "Yes Phillip, Madame never taught me anything". He showed her everyone, and the little girl grew to become a part of their family.