1925-1926 The end

Katja and Gregorij seemed to live a normal family life i London. But not quite. Gregorij spent more and more time together with the dancer Thomas Leigh, at first at work but later also in private. Gregorij admitted he had fallen in love with Thomas but realized it was perhaps an infatuation which could not last. Katja had in mind to ask for a divorce but she hesitated.

Sergej spent all his free time with his grandfather. Katja sometimes came to bring him home. "I trust he doesn't neglect his schoolwork for playing?" she said. "He is very hardworking" Erik said "he tells me all about school. Now we study composing. He is very talented."

Christmas 1925 was spent in Winston. "Richard and Connie have accepted that they can't have any more children. Then there will be no one to carry on the name I want Gregorij and his family to take it. What do you say to that?" Erik asked one day. "I think that is a good idea" Susan said. "I think a will take it too, as a second name – Susan Malcolm Leroux sounds good, doesn't it?"

Erik sat by the fire and Katja came up to him. "Are you gathering us all for any special reason?" she asked. "I want to have my family around me, isn't that enough?" She sat down beside him and put her hand on his arm. He caressed it. "You are right" he said. "This will be the last Christmas I spend with you. I will tell you all when the time comes." – "How do you know?" – "The year to come it is ten years since I had my dream – when Nadir was telling me I was to live for ten more years. This summer I will be ninetyfive, that will be enough." – "This summer? For how long will you stay with us then?" – "It's not up to me to decide. I will have my birthday, I think, and then it's goodbye." – "Does Eleanor know?" – "We have talked a lot about it. She is satisfied with all the years she had with me. Someone else will have my final care. During spring and summer I will gather all my family and friends once more. Still it's a long time until summer."

Before the spring season ended Thomas Leigh told Gregorij that he had accepted a position as ballet master in Glasgow and so their relationship had to end. Gregorij was of course sad but Katja was glad. She hoped that her husband would forget this love and come back to her again.

At Easter Jeanette and her family came to London. "Susan scares me" Jeanette told Erik. "She tells me you claim this is your last year to live. How can you predict such a thing?" – "Then I will ask you a question – how is Christine?" – "She if feeling bad. She mostly stays in bed. Perhaps she will not live very long." – "And still we plan to meet in Caen." –"Do you think she can manage?" – "I know she can. When you have said goodbye to her this summer, please come to Winston in August. Just you, the others I can see now."

Jeanette sang for her father. "It's almost like hearing Christine" he said.

In June Christine once again went to Caen to meet Eric, accompanied by her maid Adèle. After her return she stayed at home resting and Raoul sat by her side most of the time.

During the summer Erik gathered his family and friends around him at Winston. In July Josephine Daly came to visit. "I was Erik's last infatuation" she said. "Now I don't dare sit on your lap any more, considering my weight."

Pat and Jeremy came, bringing their new born son. "So you married at last" Erik said. "You know that I appreciated your company that summer a few years ago." He put his hand on her hip and she could notice that he liked doing it.

Anna came from Moscow. She brought greetings from Igor, Irina and Michail. Her grandchildren were very happy to see her again. Anna spent an afternoon alone with Erik.

Elisabeth arrived together with her husband and son. After a few days the family returned home but Elisabeth stayed. In August Jeanette returned. "Now it is time to celebrate my birthday" Erik said.

The birthday party took place in the garden and the children appreciated the music and dance and the magic performances presented by Erik and his grandsons. When the night fell Erik sat on the terrace with Elisabeth, Anna, Jeanette and Katja sitting around him. Eleanor and Susan watched them from the kitchen. "There he sits, your father and my husband, surrounded by women who love or have loved him. Jeanette like a daughter and Katja like a daughter-in-law. But Anna and Elisabeth had his love." – "Like you, mother. And one more." – "Yes one more. We have talked about this many times. I'm satisfied." – "Talked about what?" – "I can't say."

Elisabeth sang for Erik. Anna sat by his side. Jeanette sang too. Then she came to say goodbye. "I have to go home to Christine."- "I know. Give her my love."

Erik also had conversations with Eric, Gregorij, Richard, the girls and especially with Sergej. One evening he was alone with Katja. "I will miss you" she said and tears began to fall down he cheeks. He caressed them. "Don't be sad" he said. "I have had everything I wanted. You are Sergej's mother. Take care of him." She rose, bent forward and gave him a fast kiss.

One evening he called them into his bedrom and talked to them once again, one by one. Susan was the last to come. "Do you mean that this is farewell?" she asked. "Why?" – "It's not like you think" he said. "I ask you to hold my inheritage in trust. I know you, Eric and Sergej will. I want to be proud of you. " – "You will. Oh, father, you have given us so much!" She cried softly as she left the room.

Eleanor went into the bedroom and locked the door. Nobody slept well that night. Nobody saw when Eleanor left the room and went into her own bedroom.

In the morning everything was quiet. Susan went to Erik's room and opened the door. The room was empty and the bed was made. She looked around. A few things were missing, some clothes and toilet things. She went for Eleanor, but her door was locked. She called for Jenkins, but he didn't come. Sergej came running. "He is gone" he said. "Gone? How? Is he dead?" – "No, just far away. And he is going still further away."

Eleanor came out from her room. "Father is gone" Susan said. "I know. He has gone away." – "Where to?" – "Far away. It's not my secret, I can't tell." Traces of tears could be seen on her cheeks. Eric called from the hallway. "There is a telephone call from aunt Jeanette!" Susan answered. Jeanette's voice was heard from the other end. "Mother is gone. She must have gone away with Adèle. No letter, Raoul and I know nothing." – "Erik is gone too, there must be a connection. I'm sure we will know eventually." When she had hung up the phone Eleanor said "You are right. They went away together. He wanted them to spend her last part of her life together."

After a couple of days they received a telegram. "Forgive me, I'm doing the right thing. When we couldn't live together Christine and I will spend her last days together. We are now on our way to the West Indies, to a small island far from civilization. Remember us fondly."

Caribbean

Christine was lying on her bed in the shadow on the terrace, looking at the ocean. The water was azure and the air filled with fragrances. "We had a wonderful trip on the boat" she said "tiresome but wonderful. But this is paradise." Erik sat in a lounge chair by her side. "This is what you deserve" he said. "A bit of paradise on earth." She took his hand. "And you too. I am so grateful for this. i know it can't make up for a life together, but you know what I feel." –"Still we have had many fine moments together. We have led good lives. And we will be remembered."

Winston

Life at Winston stood still. Nobody wanted to leave Winston and they stayed, waiting for news. One morning three weeks later they all woke up hearing a scream. It came from Sergej. "What is it?" Sonya asked. "He is gone" Sergej said. "Suddenly he just disappeared. I felt it. Now I feel something heavy inside me." They all heard of Sergej's experience and began to wait. After one day they received a telegram.

"It is my heavy duty to inform you that Countess Christine de Chagny passed away yesterday at the ile of St Juste. Mr Erik Leroux was at her side. Late the same night mr Leroux departed from this life, hastily and painless. The bodies will be transported home, Countess de Chagny to Paris, Mr Leroux to London. They have not asked to be buried together. In grief, yours faithfully Samuel Jenkins."

Eleanor cried and let Susan read the telegram aloud. "I will stay for the funeral" Anna said. Katja bowed her head and left the room. Louis took it upon himself to inform everyone who needed to know.

During the days to follow Eleanor went around in the villa, reviving memories of her and Erik's life together. She remembered their first night together, when she was caught amongs the mirrors in her dressing room. She received a last letter, in which he told her about how he and Christine spent their days. It ended "Christine is very weak and I don't think she will live through the night. I part from this life satisfied." She didn't wonder how he died. She realized that if he had decided that he had lived long enough then he simply stopped living.

The funeral was solemn and emotional. Many people came to pay their respect, since mr Leroux had been a famous person. There were also articles in the newspapers. Eleanor and Susan stood outside the church thanking all who had been present and the rest of the family gathered together. Anna was calm and concentrated and Katja wept the whole time. As they all left a man came up and greated Eleanor – it was sir Roger Macahan who wanted to offer his condolences.

Some time later Jeanette came from Paris and told them about Christine's funeral. She shared her thoughts with her sister – that her best memory of her parents was the evening when they had taken her down to the house under the opera and Jeanette had sang in front of the waste lake.

There was a concert to Erik's memory, performing his most known music. Jeanette sang and Susan played the piano.

A few days later Susan went to Erik's grave. "I will visit you whenever I can" she said. "I know you will watch over me and Eric and Sergej. You did the right thing, going away with Christine. Soon I will go to Paris to visit her grave."

What happened afterwards?

Eleanor began to visit sir Roger again. Louis wrote to his mother, who moved to Paris and renewed her friendship with Raoul de Chagny.
Katja was sad for a long time and both she and her son Sergej imagined that they had contact with Erik.

The children grew up. Sergej had an operation made but later regretted it, since he was no longer different from everybody else. Still he had much talent.

Eric and Sonya found each other and married. For a while it looked like Eloise and Sergej would be lovers, but they parted. Eloise married an ordinary man with no musical talents and they had two children. The daughter, Sylvie, met a man from Sweden and went there to get married. They had a daughter who they called Christine. Sergej had a son with another woman, but he didn't marry. Still the son could call himself Paul Leroux. Paul married in Paris and had a son, Pierre. Pierre was interested in opera and started working at the Paris opera for a summer. The same summer Christine came to Paris on vacation, and in 1980, a hundred years after, Christine's daughter's daughter's daughter's daugher met Eric's son's son's son's son at the opera house. What happened then?

Authors' notice:
I know Erik never dies. But my Erik was so old and had lived a long life. I must meet him again, younger. I know you all have your own, living in all your stories. I wrote this story 1993-1996 and hope to come back with a new one.