Chapter One – New Surroundings
Christina's POV
I sighed in exhaustion as I placed another heavy box in the hallway. Mum came through from the kitchen. "Where does that one go sweet pea?" she asked. I peered at the label. "Dining room" I replied leaning against the wall for rest and wiping the sweat from my forehead. Mum patted my shoulder "You tired?" I nodded. Just then Dad came through the door carrying another big box. "Is there much more left dear?" Mum asked him. "Oh no" Said Dad "The men are just going to bring the last few things." he turned to me "Sweet pea can you come and help me with the last suitcases in the car please?" "Yes I'm coming Dad" I said as mum took the box I'd just carried I stepped outside the bright sun hit my face, why was it still this hot for September? I watched the three removal men carry the last things to the front door. Then I joined Dad by his big Range Rover and took two my last two suitcases, he took his and Mum's and closed the boot.
Just as I was about to step back inside I looked at the outside of our new home. It was bigger than the house we'd had in England and was sure to be better. On the ground floor was a lounge, Dining room, a kitchen and a small bathroom. Upstairs were three bedrooms, a bathroom and a balcony at the front of the house over the front door. What really made the house more beautiful was the trellis that held lovely red roses. The trellis went right up the front of the house past the balcony to the right of my bedroom window. My bedroom itself had pale blue walls and a Navy blue carpet with matching navy curtains. I had the same double bed from my old bedroom with its blue duvet. And amazingly my room also had an ensuite bathroom.
I walked back inside the house and put my suitcases down catching my breath, I was so very tired from all the lifting carrying and the heat wasn't helping me. I picked up my bottle of coke, that was sat on the stairs and began glugging down the cool drink. The three removal men came into the hall and gave me a smile and a nod. "Mr and Mrs De Chagny!" One of them called, mum and dad came into the hallway to meet them. "We've finished unloading so we'll be off now." "Cheers mate" said Dad. They shook hands and then left us.
After they'd left the three of us sat in the kitchen and had some lunch. "Well my girls!" Dad announced "Here we are then. Paris, France our new home. The very place where our ancestors were all born, well some of them." I looked up puzzled "What do you mean "some of them" Dad?" I asked. "Because my Great-Grandmother was actually Swedish and she married a rich Frenchman Vicomte, Raoul de Chagny. And guess what kitten?" "What?" I asked. "It was in the opera house down the road that she did her famous performances back in the late 1800s." I almost chocked on my sandwich. "Really? What was her name?" I asked clearing my throat. "Her name was Christine Daaé" said Dad. I couldn't believe this. I had a similar name to my ancestor, and I would probably be singing in the same place she had many years ago.
I was the first to finish my lunch so I walked into the hall, picked up my suitcases and went up to my new room. I spent the rest of the day unpacking my stuff and placing them around my room. By the time evening came I was finished unpacking my boxes and cases. I was at this moment busy sorting out the last of my clothes and hanging them in my walk in wardrobe. When I'd finished I picked up a piece of paper off my bed, stepped out into the hallway and onto the balcony looking out at the beautiful city of Paris. In one direction I could see the tall prism of The Eiffel Tower. Then I saw it, The Paris Opera House and it was more incredible than I imagined it.
Back in England earlier in the year I had finished my second year at collage studying music. Dad had already made plans for us to move here and he knew that I loved singing and performing. So he signed me up to the opera house for me to become one of their performers. They replied saying that they would be happy to see what I could do. So they sent me a song to learn for my audition. Over the past three months of the summer I'd been learning it. I sang through it, checking if my vocals were in the right place. I seemed to sing it well, so I knew I was now ready to sing it for tomorrow. I only hoped they would like me and I would like them. Apart from all of that I'd been busy with a summer job in the cinema which had earned me some good money that I now had changed to Euros.
I went back downstairs and saw that mum and Dad had been busy because I could see most of the things had been unpacked. I found them in the lounge, Mum putting books on a shelf and Dad fixing the TV. They both smiled as I entered. "Have you finished unpacking sweet pea?" Dad asked "Yes, all done. What are we doing for dinner?" I asked. Dad got to his feet rubbing his brow "We've decided that we're going to eat out tonight. There's an Italian restaurant down the road past the opera house. So you'd better go and get ready." While I was heading back up the stairs I said to myself "Strange to have Italian when we've come to live in France." I laughed to myself at my own joke.
Back in my room I changed into a long black summer dress and draped a black shawl scarf over my shoulders and let my long hair fall loose down my back. I went downstairs to join Mum and Dad who had also changed. Mum was wearing a summer dress too but with a white cardigan. And Dad was wearing Blue jeans and a white button down shirt. When we stepped outside, the sky was turning an orangey pink and the air was cooler than earlier which was good because I wasn't fond of heat, but that didn't mean I loved the cold.
We crossed the road and I followed behind my parents as they walked hand in hand as lovers do. "It feels so wonderful to be home Gerard, dear." I heard Mum say to dad. He pecked her on the cheek "I know Jeanette, I feel the same." He replied. We were then right in front of the Paris Opera House. I stopped following my parents to have a closer look at it. It was a beautiful building with steps leading up to the huge double doors and stone angels were carved into the walls next to all the windows. As I peered up towards the roof I could see that there were more stone statues on the rooftop. Including Apollo who held his great golden lyre high in the sky. Then I spotted something else that wasn't a stone statue, it looked like a tall shadowy human figure.
Author's Notes
I've updated this chapters because I saw some places that needed fixing.