"Watch this, Azelma," Eponine said to her sister one evening in early January. They sat on a rug together near the kitchen. Eponine help her kitten in her arms and a doll dress in the other. She unbuttoned the dress and put her kitten's arms through the armholes. "Look, she's just like a real lady. She has a dress on. Doesn't she look dainty?"
Their Mother wiped down the countertop with a rag. She muttered to herself. "15,000 francs," She muttered. "We let that little brat go for 15,000 measly francs! And now I have to do all this extra work." She walked over to the water barrel to fill her pot. It was completely empty. She cursed and looked outside. It was dark and cold out. She couldn't leave the inn. There were many guests that needed her to cook.
She scanned the room. Her husband was asleep and she wouldn't dare wake him. The hole in the wall where Cosette usually hid was empty. She was gone. Her eyes went to the two little girls playing on the rug.
Eponine was wrestling the kitten trying to get a ribbon around his tail. "A lady must have lots of bows," She informed a wide eyed Azelma. "And she must always stick out her pinky." She took the kitten's end claw and separated it. The cat was not pleased. He squirmed away and ran around the inn, making his dress fall off. The girls saw their Mother approaching.
"Hello, Maman!" Eponine said to her Mother. "Our lady ran away and she lost her gown. Isn't it sad?"
"Yes, yes," Her Mother said. "Eponine, I need you to do something for me."
Eponine stood up. "What is that, Maman?" She said.
Her Mother looked at her apologetically. She looked at the empty bucket. "We are all out of water," She said. "I need you to go fill up the bucket."
Eponine's expression changed. Mother never asked her to do anything like that before. "I cannot get water!" She exclaimed. "It is nighttime!"
"Well I'm sorry Ponine," Her Mother said. "Cosette's not here anymore. You need to help out a bit more."
"I will but can I do it in the daytime?" Eponine asked. She started to tear up.
"I need the water tonight. Don't argue with me," Her Mother said. He handed her the empty bucket. "Take this to the well. You know how to use the well right?"
Eponine took the bucket. "Yes," She said quietly. "I'll go." She headed to the door. She looked back to see her Mother back to wiping the counter and Azelma looking at her sympathetically.
She stepped out into the night. The cold January breeze rustled her curls. She pulled her shawl around her with one hand and held the bucket with the other. She started walking down the dirt road. She was mad. It wasn't fair. It was Cosette's job to get water. She should be at home playing. She was a young lady. It wasn't fair.
She turned down a road that led to the woods. She stepped onto the grass. It was getting darker. The trees in the wood blocked the moon. The wind blew strongly carrying a light snow.
Eponine was frightened. Every noise and every gust of wind made her shiver. She started to cry. She was cold and tired. She sat down on a stump to rest. Her head hurt. Her fingers were numb. All of the years of teasing Cosette, every trick played, every chore she made her do, all of it was coming back to haunt her. "I'm sorry!" She yelled.
She stood up and looked around. Which way was the well? Which way was her home. She was lost. She picked the direction she thought was right and starting walking. Then she switched directions.
She walked on. She remembered back to a night about a year ago. Her Father was drunk and furious. He threw a chair across the room. It almost hit Azelma in the head. Azelma started crying into Eponine's shoulder. Eponine held her and sang to her to make her less scared.
Eponine thought that singing may help her feel better. She sang softly to herself. "Frere Jacques… Frere Jacques," An owl hooted from a tree. Eponine started running faster.
She had no idea where she was. "Dormez vous," a branch fell from a tree next to her. She shrieked and ran in a different direction. She slowed down and caught her breath. "Dormez vous," she said quickly.
She walked past a tree and saw the well in the distance. She ran to it. "Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines." She lowered her bucket down the well. "Ding, ding, dong. Ding, ding, dong."
She took the bucket in her hands. It was heavy. She couldn't hold it with one hand so she had to use two. She held onto her shawl with her chin. She knew the way home. Kind of. The snow picked up and she could barely see.
"Frere Jaques," She could see the road ahead of her and she ran to it. "Frere Jaques." Her hair blew in many directions. She tried to shake it away from her face. In the process she let go of her shawl and it flew away. "Come back!" She yelled. "Please come back!" The shawl blew into the woods. Eponine knew she couldn't go back for it now.
She had to push on or she'd never back it home. She was only eight years old. How could her Mother make such a tiny child go out at night alone? She thought back to the poor little girl that used to live with her. She wished she would have played with her just a few times, given her food, let her borrow her shawl. Now she was gone. So was the shawl. Eponine was cold.
Houses started to appear on the road. The church, the bakery, Eponine could see the inn at the end of the road. She began to move quicker, which was a mistake because she almost slid on the ice and some water spilled out of her bucket. It was now about half full but Eponine could not go back to the well. The metal handle on the bucket was so cold. Her hands were numb with pain. Was this what frostbite felt like?
She walked up the stairs to the inn door and went inside. "Ponine! You're back! Look! I've put the dress back on our kitten! See look!" Azelma said happily as her sister came in through the door.
Eponine set the bucket down on the floor. "Did you get the water?" Her Mother asked.
"Uh, huh," Eponine said quietly. She rubbed her hands together to try to warm them. Her hair was frazzled.
Her Mother walked over to the bucket of water. "It's half empty!" She said.
"S-s-sorry," Eponine said. "I slipped on the ice and I… it was so cold and I… I'm sorry Maman!"
"Fine, fine," Her Mother said. "You can add more in the morning. Poor dear. Get your nightgown on. Gosh your hair!"
"It's very very windy out!" Eponine said. "I'm sorry." She ran out of the room to her bedroom. She stopped in front of her mirror and looked at herself.
"What a mess," She muttered. Part of her was grateful. If Cosette had brought home a half empty bucket she would have been whipped. Her Mother still cared about her. But she also knew that things were never going to be the same. Change was coming. Eponine twirled around in front of her mirror like she did many times before, but this time she didn't feel very much like a princess.