Chapter 13
Deserae's PoV
We walked through the wide doors of the church and Dave was lighting the candles that ran along the walls.
"Ah, I see you two are back."
"We just had a little morning stroll," I said as I laughed a little.
"Perfect timing too. I need your help with something. Follow me," Dave said as he lead us upstairs.
"You two have to clean this hallway and the upstairs privy, and when you're done, you can clean the kitchen."
"So, we have to clean the whole church?" I asked with a confused face.
"Just the inside, but not the room services, they are being held. Have fun," Dave said as he walked downstairs.
"So much for my day."
"You mean our day? Remember he said we had to clean, not just you Deserae," Enjolras said with a small smile. I started on the hallway and Enjolras did the privy.
"Deserae, catch." I turned towards Enjolras and saw a wet rag coming at me. I didn't dodge it in time and it hit me in the face.
He laughed at my dripping hair and damp face.
"Alright, let's clean the church shall we?" I said as I picked up my mop and attacked him with it. When I was done, Enjolras was soaked and I was giggling.
"You'll pay for that," Enjolras said as he got up but he slipped on the wet floor and fell, which gave me a head start down the stairs. I quickly grabbed a few rags and soaked them in the bucket.
"I'm warning you, I'm armed," I said as I brandished my rags, water dripping to the ground.
"So am I," Enjolras said as he entered into the kitchen with my mop. We started throwing water at each other. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground.
Enjolras's PoV
I was having so much fun with our water fight. Deserae swung her rags at my torso as I swung my mop at her head and she fell to the ground.
"Deserae?" I panicked. I didn't mean to take it that far. I lifted her head up on my lap and put my ear against her chest. She was breathing but she wasn't awake.
"Deserae, wake up. I didn't mean to!" My eyes started to water when a wet rag hit me in the eye.
"Ow."
"That's for being a wimp," Deserae said, chuckling.
"That wasn't funny," I said as I placed my hand on my head, which she hit pretty hard.
"I thought it was," Deserae retorted, still laughing. It was infectious and I joined in. After we exhausted our laughed, we finished cleaning the church. Deserae finished the upstairs hallway as I finished the privy, and then we did the kitchen together.
"That was some water fight we had," Deserae said as she started to put our cleaning supplies away.
"I think it was our finest yet."
"Excellent job you two!" exclaimed Dave as he walked into the church, "This kitchen hasn't been this clean since...I can't remember when it's ever been this clean." Deserae and I laughed.
"That's because there hasn't been a water fight in here yet," Deserae mumbled to me.
"What's that dear?" Dave asked.
"Nothing," Deserae said as we both continued to laugh.
"Okay you two. Enjolras, would you care to join us for dinner?" Dave asked.
"I'd love to."
Deserae's Pov
I hadn't had this much fun since I was a child. I was thrilled to know that Enjolras was going to stay for dinner. Dave went outside to the church's garden, leaving us in the kitchen.
"I didn't even realize we missed lunch," I said, giggling a bit.
"Me either," Enjolras said with a small grin.
"Could you help us with dinner dear?" One of the nuns asked me.
"Of course, Sister," I said as I went over to help. I felt Enjolras watching me cook with the nuns.
"When did you learn to cook?" he asked.
"I picked it up when I was working at that so called Inn," I said as I chopped some carrots.
"Oh," was the confused reply.
Enjolras' PoV
I never would've thought that Deserae would be able to cook. I caught myself from staring at her for far too long. I got up and headed outside just as Dave walked in.
"Oh, excuse me Enjolras." I nodded and let him pass. I made it outside and the sunlight, combined with the wind, felt so good. Today's water fight was the most fun I had had in a long time. I truly enjoyed each moment with Deserae. I felt like the more time I spent with her, the more my feelings for her grew. I couldn't stop thinking about her.
"Enjolras, it's dinner," Dave called to me.
"Just a moment," I answered. I headed back to the church with my thoughts still running around in my head. When I entered into the kitchen, the table was set with silverware and plates and a golden candlelabrah stood in the middle of the table. A nun was lighting the candles one after the other. Everyone started to take their seats, and I took mine between Deserae and Dave.
"Let us give thanks," Dave announced and everyone joined hands.
"Holy Father, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us today. We thank You for our special guest this evening. Bless this food with Your holiness, Amen."
"So how did cleaning go you two," Dave asked as we began to dine. Deserae giggled a little.
"It was...good," Deserae said as she cut her cheese.
"The best part was the kitchen," I said as I looked at Deserae. I knew that she knew I meant the water fight.
"Well, you two did a great job. The kitchen looks wonderful," Dave said as he took a bite from his bread. After we finished, one of the nuns started to pick up our plates.
"Here, I'll get those," Deserae said as she took the plate from the nun and went over to the washbasin.
"Let me help you with those," I said as I followed her over to do the dishes.
Deserae's PoV
It was nice of Enjolras to help me. I washed the plates as he dried them and put them back in the small cabinet. After we finished the dishes, I started to sweep the floor while Enjolras cleaned the table a bit. I finished sweeping the floors and went into the main sanctuary. The candles were lit and some civilians were sitting and praying. I had started to walk along the walls of the church. I stopped by the wide doors and had started to admire the portrait of Jesus, which hung on the center wall.
Enjolras's PoV
I finshed cleaning the table when I noticed that Deserae had disappeared. I looked upstairs and she wasn't there. I walked into the sanctuary and I saw her standing against the back wall by the doors. I watched her: she seemed to have been talking to herself. That's when I saw the portrait and noticed that she was looking at it too. She was talking to it. I noticed that a few civilians were leaving the church. I waited for the last person to walk out before I walked towards her.
"Are you alright?" I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"I'm fine," Deserae said as she continued to look at the portrait.
"Thanks for helping me with the cleaning," she said after a while.
"It was no problem."
Deserae's PoV
When Enjolras spoke, I had butterflies in my stomach, probably in response to the a smile on his face.
"I always wondered what happened to you. You know, after we grew apart," I said, not looking at him.
"Funny, I wondered what happened to you," Enjolras said.
"What did happen to you?" I asked him as I looked at him.
"My father had a sister and she had heard about him going into slavery. So, she came over one day and brought me to her house, which was out of town. She told me that I was going to live with her for a while. It was so unexpected that I didn't have time to say goodbye."
"When did you leave? Why did you leave?"
"She passed away year ago of a heart attack. That's when I decided to return and to find out what happened to you." Enjolras came back to look for me? After all these years he had still remembered me?
"I'm sorry about your aunt," I said as I tried to comfort him.
"I remember you saying that about my father. The day I came in here and you found me sitting there," Enjolras said as he pointed to a pew on the right side. I followed his finger to the pew, remembering that day.
"What about you? What happenedd to you?" Enjolras's questin seemed to echoe in my head. What did happen to me?
"Well, I looked for you and when I couldn't find you, I don't know what I thought. I didn't think you were dead, but I didn't think you would just leave me like that. When you didn't come back, I moved on. I slept under houses and some people let me sleep in their barns. I stole food and got in trouble a few times and I just found that job at the Inn a year ago."
Enjolras's PoV
How could I have just left her the way I did? How did she survive not having a friend around?
"How about I make it up to you," I said.
"How?" Deserae asked.
"Tomorrow, you and I will spend the day together doing anything you want."
I hoped that would make her smile and it did. Deserae was clearly happy to hear that.
"Anything?" She asked, I assume to make sure that I did, in fact, mean anything.
"Yes." The next thing I knew, Deserae was hugging me.
"Tomorrow then," Deserae said as she looked up at me, her arms still around my neck. I couldn't help but smile. I was already looking forward to whatever mischeif she would come up with tomorrow.