Undecided
An Original Novel
Written By Keyonna Caldwell
Prologue
It was dark and cold one night in 1815 Paris France, but Maria didn't care. She ran through the streets of St. Michel, the cobbled streets hard beneath her feet. The wind blew through Maria's tattered blue blouse, ripped brown skirt and faded apron as she sprinted home. Her long auburn hair pulled back by a small light brown kerchief. Maria didn't stop running until she had reached the end of the street. She turned sharply onto a small pathway that led to a small house, nails barely holding it together. A giant wooden cart sat in the front yard piled high with ripe apples and pears. Maria threw the door open excitedly but shut it very slowly. Her loving husband, Fauchelevent could be heard rummaging through the kitchen in the next room. Maria slowly strolled into the old kitchen. Dented pots and pans were everywhere, a little round wooden table sat in the center of the room. Counters lined the walls. Fauchelevent was standing in front of the sink trying to wash dishes at the table in a big silver pot of water. He had black curly hair and was much taller then Maria. Fauchelevent wore a faded white shirt with a brown tattered vest made from kerchiefs that had been left upon the streets and brown ripped pants. He sat away facing away from the door and never heard her sneak in. Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed in his ear. Fauchelevent set the pot on the table excitedly; he jumped up and turned toward her. "Where were you, you weren't here when I came home you had me worried." Fauchelevent asked nervously.
Maria sighed playfully and walked around the kitchen as she spoke. "I wasn't feeling well so after work I decided to go to the doctor." Fauchelevent gave a nervous look of concern; there were not many medicines or ways to heal anything to serious. "I swear I didn't get the plague or something. I was told some very wonderful news actually." She said as she paused looking out the window above the counter onto the small yard they owned out back where the fruit trees grew.
Fauchelevent was anxious watching her walk around the room. He was really curious what the good new was. He rose and walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What is it?" He asked.
Maria giggled and turned toward him. "The doctor said that I should prepare for a little one." She said a little shyly.
Fauchelevent was overjoyed. "Really!" He started getting excited. Maria nodded excitedly with a slight smile. "Oh my god a baby!" Maria and Fauchelevent were so excited. They both made plans that day.
Chapter One
A few years later, Maria and Fauchelevent were in the yard watching a little girl running through the snow. That little girl was me, my long brown hair waving in the wind as I ran. I wore a little brown dress that was all my father, Fauchelevent, could afford. I wore knitted shale that I had helped make with my mother, Maria. It was the day before my fifth birthday, February 15th in Paris France. The snow was piled up to my little knees. "Keyonset! It's time to come in now, its getting cold." My mother called to me. I was having so much fun I didn't hear her. I slipped and fell hard into a pile of snow; the freshly fallen snow soaked my dress inside and out. My mother and father gasped and ran toward the snow bank. I was crying when they carried me inside and laid me upon my bed.
The day of my birthday I awoke to my mother pressing her hand upon my forehead with a sad look. She noticed my eyes opened and replaced her frown with half a smile. I breathed in just to start coughing. Fauchelevent came in when he heard me awake with a small cake big enough for just me to have some. He laid the small cake on my lap as I sat up. I looked down at the small cake, more of a cup cake really. Plus it was made with real chocolate that must of cost them a fortune. I started coughing again. My father and mother's smiles grew serious. "Go ahead darling, eat the cake." My father said.
My mother pulled my father to the side of the room. "Is she doing any better Maria?" My father asked nervously biting his thumb.
My mother let out a sigh. "She will do fine, Fauchelevent, but you still need to call the doctor. I don't care the cost. I'll work an extra shift at the factory if I have to." She said.
My father looked at her in sadness. "You have already taken an extra shift just to buy fabric for her dress, I can't let you take on any more. I will just have to raise my prices, add more to the pile." He said looking at Maria lovingly as he took her by the hand. "I have already called him. He will be here tomorrow."
Indeed the doctor did come to see me. I was fine just had a little cold, he had said. It was within a few days I was back up on my feet. "Well, I'm off." Fauchelevent said as he was walking out the door two years later.
"Papa, papa, may I come with you today." I asked. I wore a tattered white blouse, blue shale and a faded apron. I clasped my hands together near my face as if to beg. "Please?" I asked. Fauchelevent looked at my mother for an answer. He wore the same tattered shirt but with a different brown vest and pants.
My mother stood from the table where she was sewing a new blanket for her and Fauchelevent. "I say you take her," My mother said. I will be heading for the factory in a few moments so I wont be here when you get back."
I was so excited; I get to go help my father sell his fruit. I had never been as far into the city before. We hitched up the cart to our horse Adele and we're off. Papa let me ride on Adele on the way so I didn't have to walk. We arrived in the center of the street where papa had tied Adele up to a post where he normal had her. He lifted me off the old bay mare and set me on the ground. Dust moving beneath my feet. He told my to just watch and sit still, tend to the fruit and mine my manners. He started walking around the square asking people if they had wanted to buy any fruit, but he wasn't having any luck. I couldn't just sit there. I was growing giddy and I wanted to help. "Would you like to buy any fruit?" I asked to all the well-dressed people walking the square, they looked down at me as if someone had just spit on their shoe and they couldn't clean it off. "Please sir, buy some fruit." I said to a man that was walking through the square. He wore a black tailcoat with matching top hat, black slacks, a white shirt, and navy blue vest over top; he had red well-groomed hair.
He looked down and when I expected him to shoo me away like so many others that I had asked he smiled and knelt down. I looked at him in amazement. "What, what is it?" he asked me concerned.
I looked down at his pants. "You're getting your pants all dirty." I said sweetly.
He just started laughing. "A little dirt won't hurt them," he said nicely. "Now why don't you show me where that ripe fruit is." He said.
I grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him over to my father who was selling a few pairs to a man. "Papa! Papa!" I called as we walked through the crowd.
"Yes, Keyonset!" He said taking the man's money and putting it into his pocket. Behind him a little girl in blue was throwing rocks at the back of Adele but she kept missing.
I pulled the man to the cart and he followed sweetly. "He wants some of our fruit Papa" I said letting go of the man and pulling on my father's vest.
My father turned with a smile on his face that vanished when he saw the man. "M'sieur Mayor!" He said grabbing me. "I am so sorry, if my daughter has done anything or made you come over here please forgive me." Fauchelevent said bowing his head.
The mayor laughed. "No, no, I asked her to bring me here. I was interested in your fruit." The mayor said removing his hat.
Fauchelevent grew very excited. He started showing all of the fruit that we had to the mayor. I turned my attention to the little girl who was throwing stones at Adele. "Hey you better stop, if you hit Adele she will kick you." I called loudly to the girl. She stopped for a moment, looked at me then leaned forward and stuck her tongue out. He picked up a bigger stone and hurled it at Adele. The stone landed hard on the mare's backside. She reared high kicking my father over. The mayor jumped back and grabbed me out of the way when Adele broke lose of her hold and ran off throwing the cart onto Fauchelevent. "Look out!" I screamed but it was to late. My father was pinned underneath the large wooden cart. Bruised pairs and apples were scattered everywhere. I broke free of the mayor's hold and ran to my father. I grabbed a hold of his hand when he tried to wiggle and squirm out from underneath the cart.
"Is there anyone here how can rescue this man." The mayor said jumping into action.
"Don't go near him, M'sieur Mayor." Some one shouted from the crowd that began to form. "The old man's a goner for sure." Another called. The mayor shook his head and ignored them he made his way to the front of the cart; I hurried out of the way. Two men joined him. The mayor began to lift the cart off of my father. As the two men tried to pull him out from underneath it. He tried, and then failed, he tried again but failed. The third time he lifted the cart off of Fauchelevent the men were able to break him free from underneath the cart. The helped him up as he wobbled.
"M'sieur Le Mayor, I have no words. You come from god, you are a saint." My father said as the two men and I hurried him off to the care of the doctor.
Suddenly I bumped into someone. He and I fell to the hard ground. I put my hand on my head as I sat up. "I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going." I heard a little boy say. I looked up and saw a little boy. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a nice white long sleeved shirt, a new vest and brown slacks. He stuck out his arm to help me up. Reluctantly I grabbed his hand as he helped me up. "Hi, I haven't seen you around here he said brushing himself off. "What's your name, Mademoiselle?"
I looked into his eyes. Maybe we could be friends? Would he want to be friends with a poor commoner? "Key…Keyonset." I said ever so sweetly.
"Grantire!" Someone called from behind him. A nice dressed lady came by and put her hands on his shoulders. He looked up at her. "What are you doing talking to this street urchin? Look at how dirty she is." The women said. She wore a blue dress with white detail and she had big hair. She was right of course. According to society I was 'below' them.
"But mama I was…" Grantire tried to say.
"Ahh ahh, none of your excuses." She said cutting him off. "Lets go home and get you cleaned up. Look at you, you look almost as bad as she does." His mother said hurrying him away.