"Gael I have to go. I'm meting the lad I told you about yesterday. Maybe some day I will take his here and he can meat you." I call through our small make shift house. I await an answer but non comes.
"Gael? Are you oaky?" Still I have no answer so I crawl into the back room where Gael sleeps. I find him curled in a small shaking ball, his face drenched in sweat.
"Gael!" I exclaim ruining over to him as fast as I can. I hold him in my arms and check his temperature with the back of my hand. I know from experience that Gael is running a fever but this is one I have not felt before. His forehead is so hot I almost flinch when I touch him.
"Gael? Speak with me. Please." I plead with the trembling bundle that lays in my arms.
"Clemance." His voice is but a whisper so faint I hardly catch it.
"Oui? I am here Gael."
"I hurt Clemance." I hold him tighter not sure what to do. Images of my mama and papa come to my mind. I can see my mothers week body and my father holding her with trembling hands. Tears stream down my eyes and I don't bother to whip them away.
"It's okay Gael. You will be okay." I cradle him as his undernourished, bony body shakes from the cold and the illness.
"Clemance?"
"Oui?" I lower my head as to hear him better.
"Remember you told me when mama and papa died that some day I would see them again, that I would joint them. What if today is that day."
"No!" I scream. "You will not die Gael. I will not allow it." The tears rapidly increase and I can not help but sob loudly at the thought at loosing the only thing dear to me.
"I's okay. I'm ready." Gael attempts to comfort me and stay strong.
"No Gael you are not. I'm not."
" Au revoir Clemance. Je t'aime." Gael closes his little eyes and reaches up to touch my face with his trembling hand.
"Stop it Gael. You are not going to die. I will not let you." I sob. Slowly the trembling of his body becomes more subtle as I continue to sob until eventually his hand drops onto his now limb body.
"NOOOOOO! Why?" I pull the little lifeless body of my brother up against me my eyes now a waterfall of my tears.
"Pourquoi? First you take my mama than my papa now you take my brother. My baby brother." I scream up at the skies. "He was but a boy. A BOY!" I am unable to contain the anger and grief in me before I collapse on top of Gaels mangled body crying and yelling. Yelling at the world, cursing the rich, hating the people who let countless people die everyday and do not lift a finger to help them. Than I think of toughs who want to make a difference. I think of Enjolras and his plans for a revolution. He is willing to die for the people, for his cause and so must I. I know what I have to do so my vision blurry with tears I pick myself of the floor. I dig around in an old wooden trunk left behind by mama and papa until I find what I am looking for.
Enjolras POV
"Grantaire, have you seen Clemance?" I ask the drunk that sits before me.
"Ah, now that Apollo has gotten his taste of love he is snaking out more."
"Be still and do not speak of that you do not understand. I am only worried as Clemance said she would meat me here and has yet failed to arrive."
"You could always ask Eponin. She will know most likely."
"Merci Grantaire." I say and hurry of to where Eponin talks to Marius.
"Eponin, may I ask a favor of you?"
"What is it Enjolras?" Marius asks.
" I was wondering if you knew the home of a girl with the name Clemance? She lives with her brother Gael."
"Ah oui." Eponin answers. "She lives by the river in what is left of an old house."
"Merci Eponin. You are a wonderful person." I tell her before leaving the cafe. I head out to the river and it is not long before I find the ruins of the house Eponin mentioned and in the middle of it I find a small cave like thing which I assume Clemance built as a house. I gasp when I see it, never had I expected her living conditions to be so poor. I can only imagine what it must be like as poor girl to live here with her sick brother. I draw closer and call out: "Clemance? Are you there?"
"Enjolras?" Her voice answers full of surprise and grief. It sounds as if she had just been crying. Immediately I worry and rush in to see what is making Clemance sound to sad. Inside I see her sitting next to what appears to be the body of a little boy holding a knife.
"Clemance? What do you intend to do with that knife?"
"I love you Enjolras." She says and before I am able to do something about it she plunges the knife deep into her chest.
"No!" I yell and make my way towards the body with the knife in it. I tug the knife out but immediately realize that the damage is to grate to fix. "Clemance." I say lifting her head into my lap and taking her hand into mine.
"I am sorry. Forgive me." Clemance whispers than with her free hand she presses a letter into my chest. I cry as her body goes limb and I realize that she is gone. I take the letter, ignoring my tears and stuff it into my jacket pocket. First I lift up the boy, Clemance's brother Gael and carry him out of there make shift house. I than do the same with Clemance my eyes burning as I carry this helpless girl and place her next to her equally helpless brother.
"I will be back mon cherry." I tell the beautiful yet damaged figure laying at my feet. Tears in my eyes I turn to run to the nearest church where I soon find the paster.
"Father help me." I plead with him "I have two body's that need burying."
"Show me where they are my boy and I will have it arranged." He says placing a hand on my shoulder. "And keep in mind that it is okay to grief." I nod at the man and lead him to where Clemance and Gael lay, not having moved since I left them. I walk over to Clemance's body and kneel next to her taking her lifeless hand in mine and holding it to my chest.
"Would you like a moment?" The paster asks me sorrow and pity fill his eyes. I simply nod at him "Merci father." and he turns away leaving me once more with the corps of Clemance.
I remember the letter she gave me and pull it out of my jacket and slowly unfold it. The writing on it is not perfect but it is that of the lovely girl that helped me when she could have walked away. But now my problems of respect among my friends seam miniscule in comparison to the death of two innocents. I look down at the letter and read:
Enjolras,
I know you are wondering why. I do not think I can enplane but I will try for you deserve an explanation. I lost everything today, everything I have been working for the last three years, the reason I even got to know you. I lost my cause to fight on, my cause to live. You have not lost your's yet for you still have the revolution and the battle agains aristocracy. You are strong while I am week. To week was I to fight for everyone like Gael who needs a better life, to selfish was I to try to bring right to france. But I know that you are less week and less selfish than me and I know that you will keep fighting for thous who can' fight themselves, thous like Gael.
In the last three years I have done a lot to earn money for my brother and most of it I regret, However I do not regret taking on Grantaire offer for that is how I met you. Tell him that, tell him that he was right and that I did find love in the whole thing. And remember it yourself. Remember that I love you Enjolras. Je t'aime.
I finish reading and the tears fall faster. I lean down to kiss Clemance's forhead.
"Je t'aime aussi Clemance. I love you too."