At dawn, Don Enrique orders his servants to wake up his fellow fugitives whether they like it or not. The servants obeyed their master.
If only the servants could pick up the courage to express their opinions, Phoebus seems to be cooperative. Once a servant announced to Phoebus the order she is given, he immediately wakes up and proceeds to perform his morning routine.
Ramil, on the other hand, is Phoebus' polar opposite. For five times, a servant told him to wake up. When her patience slipped away, she shouted at Ramil. Out of boiling anger, Ramil threw a pillow at the servant's face. The servant, wanting to take revenge, temporarily gives up her sense of duty and reflects the act Ramil did. Ramil gets out of bed to teach the servant a lesson. In the blink of an eye, the servant disappeared. Thus, a chase ensued.
The servant and Ramil end up in the dining room, therefore interrupting the meal of Don Enrique and Ramil. For quite a short while, two of the men stared at the panting pair. Based on Ramil's bewildered hazel eyes and slightly haggard face, Don Enrique figured out Ramil forgot the agreement they made days ago. For the day is very young and time is definitely as abundant as a field's proud crops, Don Enrique refreshes Ramil's memory through a question.
"Ramil, did you hit your head on a big rock and forgot everything you must do today?" He asked.
"Of course not!" Ramil replied.
"If not, then why did I have to shout at you for five times and throw your pillow at your face?!" The servant asked.
"Hey! You have no right to speak up to one of your masters like that!" Don Enrique said, walking towards the servant. "Must I remind you that the money you earn comes from me? And must I remind you that I, as the one who provides your income, can kick you out of my house and leave you and your family penniless?" He asked coldly, giving off an icy cold glare towards the servant.
"N...n...no, sir." The servant replied meekly with a hint of fear.
"THEN, GET OUT!" Don Enrique commanded.
The servant and her uncontrollable tremors leave the dining room. The other servants in the dining room take this as a warning for themselves; if they defy their master, consequences shall follow. Don Enrique led Ramil to the dining table so they can eat their meal. Before Ramil laid a finger on fork, knife or spoon, he spoke up a thought that abruptly entered his mind.
"Henri, if you do love your sons, why don't you join Phoebus and I to take them away from your's brother's home?" He asked.
As if reading Don Enrique's mind, Phoebus saves the half-Spaniard, half-Frenchman's breath to answer Ramil's question.
"My friend, Henri is a smart man. He knows what to do and what not to do." Phoebus replied. "If he joins us, he will be caught by his brother. Surely his brother will bring Henri to prison. And if that happens, we will be sent back to Paris to be imprisoned." He added.
"Your friend is correct, Ramil." Don Enrique said, feeling proud of Phoebus.
"Huh. I guess both of you share the same mind." Ramil joked as he finally laid his hands on his silver utensils.
"Birds of the same feather flock together." Don Enrique said.
"I absolutely agree with you." Ramil said.
"You're wrong. It should be people who commit the same sin must find safety and luxury with each other." Phoebus whispered, causing Don Enrique to laugh.
"Indeed, Phoebus. Indeed." Don Enrique said after recovering from his burst of laughter.
For a few days, Jacques' mind thought of nothing but of one particular thing: to give a golden locket to Quasimodo. Although this is just one thing, Jacques thoughts became as deep as the seven seas. He doesn't know if he should give the locket to Quasimodo personally or give it to a person so he or she can give it to the hunchback. Now, the second choice leads to two more choices. He doesn't know if he should just leave the locket somewhere in the church or give it to somebody who works in the church or to Padre Draco himself. Then, that leads to two consequences. It is either one of them are going to comply to Jacques' wish or tell it to Judge Frollo. And if that happens, Judge Frollo wouldn't hesitate to go after Jacques and perform his long-awaited act of revenge on the apothecary. All of these stressful thoughts virtually imprisoned Jacques. These thoughts caused him to not eat enough food nor get enough sleep; he even can't get out of the little house he's staying at.
Before Jacques completely lost all of his hope, he decided to just leave the locket in the bell tower, Quasimodo's beloved place. Once he woke up, he immediately got out of bed. Instead of cooking his meal or changing his clothes, he gently cast awat the pillow to grab the locket. Once that is done, he and his companions, anxiety and excitement, walk directly to the Church of San Lorenzo.
During his little trip, his companions disturbed him too much. Both of them reign Jacques' feelings like night and day. During the day, excitement reigns over his feelings. Like King David of Israel, excitement treats Jacques in a fair and generous manner. Thus, Jacques feels very relieved. But, at dusk, anxiety decided to revolt and usurp the throne. For as long as the night lasts, fear reigns Jacques' feelings. Like King Ahab, he horrendously mistreats Jacques. Thus, Jacques sighs, weeps and hopes for excitement to come back. At dawn, excitement comes back with a large army, wages a war, wins the war and takes back his throne. Jacques rejoices. The companions' revolts, wars and acts of taking back the throne transforms itself into an overwhelming cycle for Jacques. At long last, the cycle came to an abrupt end when Jacques saw a beautiful lady and a pretty child. Therefore, relief, who is just like a humble servant of excitement, becomes the king after his dear master and their enemy died.
When Jacques came closer, he recognized the woman as someone whom he saw 14 nights ago. On the night of the 24th day of August, Jacques was about to sleep when Heaven shed a lot of drops of rain. Since Jacques is fond of hearing the soothing sounds of the rain, he sat down on the window sill and enjoyed the cold weather and the view. From a distance, he saw three people running down the road. He squinted his eyes to see the people. When they were approaching the church, he saw two of the men whom he developed a lukewarm relationship with. He half-heartedly smiled, for he got a glimpse of the Frollo brothers once more. After placing his concentration on the two men, the beautiful lady caught his eyes. Based on the trio's actions, he assumed the woman is a friend of either Judge Frollo or Padre Mathias or even both of them. Through her camarederie with them, there is no doubt that she is a friend of Quasimodo. Besides, from the looks of the woman, she shares the same age with the hunchback.
Because of remembering the past, Jacques lost the two people from his sight. As a result, he runs towards the church. In the nave, Jacques courageously walked behind her and tapped her shoulder.
"Good morning, mademoiselle." Jacques greeted politely.
"Good morning, monsieur." Esmeralda greeted back politely.
"Who are you?" Thérèse asked.
"My name is Jacques." Jacques replied, causing Esmeralda to identify the apothecary as one of the engineers of the plot to kill Jehan.
"Jacques, do you know a certain priest named Padre Ronald?" Esmeralda asked.
"Uhm. Mademoiselle, please do me a favor." Jacques said, distracting Esmeralda from being eager to receive an answer for her question.
"What favor?" Esmeralda asked.
"Please give this to Quasimodo." Jacques replied, giving the locket to Esmeralda.
"Alright." Esmeralda said, staring at the golden piece of jewellery.
Once Esmeralda stopped looking at the locket, she saw Jacques walking away. In a desperate attempt to solve the case and close it, she runs up to Jacques and taps his shoulder. Jacques, thinking Esmeralda is going to ask him the same question, continues on walking away.
"Monsieur, where can I find you?" Esmeralda asked.
"In a little house, which is near the river." Jacques replied without facing Esmeralda at all.
"Alright." Esmeralda said. "Be careful." She said.
"Be careful too." Jacques said, facing Esmeralda with a faint smile.
Then, they parted ways.
"Esmeralda, what is that?" Thérèse asked.
"It's a locket." Esmeralda replied with a warm smile.
"Can I see it?" Thérèse requested.
Esmeralda complied to her ward's wish. Once Thérèse received the locket, it entranced her blue eyes. Thérèse's admiration came to an abrupt end when Esmeralda gave additional information regarding lockets.
"Thérèse, did you know lockets can be used to keep the photo of a person?" She asked.
"Really?" Thérèse asked, taking up a purely eager interest on learning new lessons from her guardian.
"Yes." Esmeralda replied.
"But, how can a photo be put inside a locket?" Thérèse asked.
"Forgive me, Thérèse. I don't know how they are made." Esmeralda replied, feeling remorseful.
"Why?" Thérèse asked.
"There are things I know and there are things that I don't know of." Esmeralda replied, recovering from her fear of hearing Thérèse's disappointed grunt.
"What are the things you know?" Thérèse asked.
"Well, I know about almost everything I believe in, I know things about my father, my brother, my friends and other people whom I know and I know the things I am taught by school, books, my father, my brother, my governess and the servants of my home." Esmeralda replied.
"I am sure you had a hard time in learning those things." Thérèse commented, causing Esmeralda to laugh.
"O, Thérèse, it was not hard for me to know what I must know about the people I love. But, at first, it was hard for me to learn things a child like you will learn." Esmeralda said.
"Like things about the monarchy and the government?" Thérèse asked, causing the churchgoers, who were in earshot of the girl's question, to gasp and gossip. In turn, both Esmeralda and Thérèse heard the whispers of the people.
"Esmeralda, what are they talking about?" Thérèse whispered.
"Surely they are talking about me again." Esmeralda whispered back with a hint of contempt for the churchgoers.
"Why?" Thérèse asked.
"Whenever I visited San Lorenzo, I did a lot of things here." Esmeralda replied, feeling very proud of her deeds.
"Like what?" Thérèse asked.
"Thérèse, my dear girl, forgive me again. The Lord says we must not tell everybody our good deeds or He will punish us." Esmeralda said, feeling very remorseful again.
"Why?" Thérèse asked.
"Because we might be like Padre Draco." Esmeralda replied. "You know, Thérèse, when I was a child, Padre Draco goes on a walk around San Lorenzo to give money to the poor in front of people to receive their praises. When they are gone, Padre Draco takes away the money he gave to the poor." She added through a whisper.
"He's a bad man." Thérèse commented through a whisper. "Esmeralda, how come you know that?" She asked.
"I can see him do that whenever my friends, my brother and I walked around the city." Esmeralda replied.
Thérèse, remembering what happened earlier, needed not to ask Esmeralda if she, her brother and her friends helped the poor people cheated by Padre Draco. What hindered her from asking the question is obtaining her knowledge about Esmeralda's pure heart. Since she is a woman with a heart of gold and is willing to dedicate her life to God, it is very impossible for her to not be kind to the poor. To add up to how charitable Esmeralda can be, Thérèse's mind plays the memory of Esmeralda being brave and strong enough to save Tomas, his mother and sisters.
In the convent, Pedro runs up towards Esmeralda and Thérèse. The pair of children greeted each other then rushed to the bedroom of the little boy. Esmeralda, having nothing to do, walked towards Quasimodo's room to do what Jacques bade her to do. She knocked on the door, thinking her friend is there. Nothing happened. She came to a conclusion that Quasimodo might be spending time with his uncles because today is Judge Frollo's 50th birthday.
Esmeralda entered her friend's bedroom. The bedroom is empty and quiet, just as she expected it. Out of curiosity, she opened the locket to take a look at whatever it contains. To her surprise, the images of a man and a woman appear separately on both sides.
On the right side is the photo of a woman. The said woman's skin is as white as fresh milk, the length of her black hair reaches the top of her frail shoulders, her grey eyes can captivate anyone who stares into those eyes and her pink lips is stretched into a wide smile. Her features tell Esmeralda that the woman is Quasimodo's mother, Emily Frollo.
On the opposite side of the locket is the photo of a man. The man looks like Jacques, but he has fiery red hair. What Esmeralda saw definitely sent her into a state of tremendous shock and curiosity. It's impossible for Jacques to be Marcel Gignac, Quasimodo's father. Maybe Jacques is another uncle or relative of Quasimodo.
"Esmeralda, what is that?" Pedro asked from the open doorway.
"Esmeralda said to me that that thing is called a locket, which is a thing that can keep photos." Thérèse replied.
"What is keep?" Pedro asked.
"It means to have something for yourself." Thérèse replied.
"Oh." Pedro said.
"Pedro, what are the things your father taught you?" Esmeralda asked curiously, moderately shocked by Pedro not learning things from his father who really loves to teach children in a strict and harsh manner.
"Things about God and the Church. But, sometimes, it's boring." Pedro replied.
"If you are really bored, then why did you say to Padre Draco that God was mad at him when he got mad to Ara?" Esmeralda asked.
"Because Quasimodo told me to say that when Padre Draco gets mad." Pedro replied, shamefully fidgeting his fingers and staring at his feet.
"At least you listened to our friend." Esmeralda said, smiling warmly towards him.
"Esmeralda, can I see the photos?" Thérèse asked.
"Of course." Esmeralda replied, letting both of the children sit on both of her sides.
"Who is that woman?" Pedro asked, pointing at the woman.
"This is Quasimodo's mother, Emily Frollo." Esmeralda replied.
"How about that man? Might that be Jacques?" Thérèse asked.
"Quasi said his father's name is Marcel Gignac." Esmeralda replied.
"Is Marcel dead?" Thérèse asked
"Yes." Esmeralda replied.
"Did Emily go up to Heaven too?" Thérèse asked.
"Yes. She went up to Heaven." Esmeralda replied.
"Why did she die?" Thérèse asked.
"She died after giving birth to Quasimodo." Esmeralda replied.
"Mama died when I was 3 years old because she was very sick." Pedro replied.
"We are the same." Esmeralda commented sadly. "Here we are; three children who grew up to love their mothers and see them die." She added, causing Thérèse to pity her guardian.
"Don't worry, Esmeralda. Your Mama is in Heaven too." Thérèse assured her, placing her head on Esmeralda's shoulders.
"I know, Thérèse. I know." Esmeralda said, stroking her ward's blonde hair.
"Where is Heaven?" Pedro asked.
"In the clouds." Esmeralda replied, greatly surprising Pedro.
Out of childish inquistiveness, Pedro dashed out of the church to be under Heaven's vast, blue sky and swirly, white clouds. Thérèse followed him. Before leaving the bedroom, Esmeralda puts away the locket on Quasimodo's table. Ara, who heard everything, goes to the bedroom of Padre Draco.
Padre Draco knows how liberal and defiant Esmeralda is. To not let her plague the innocent mind of Pedro, the priest ordered his five remaining servants to eavesdrop and spy on Esmeralda, Thérèse and Pedro. Wherever they may go or whatever they may do, the servants are right behind the three; although it is really against their will, they comply to their master's order.
At Padre Draco's door, Ara sighs to prepare herself for whatever will happen in that room. Then, she knocks on the door. From his chair, Padre Draco tells her to come in. Once she's inside, Padre Drado stands up from his seat and takes a few steps towards her. By the time he stopped walking, both priest and servant felt how close they are due to the fact that they can feel their breaths gently hitting their faces. Not wanting Pedro to be left behind without the servant's invisible presence, he speaks up.
"What did she say to little Pedro?" Padre Draco asked.
"Oh, Padre Draco, Esmeralda is a good woman. She cared for the things Pedro must learn, she taught him a few things about Quasimodo's parents and about Heaven." Ara replied happily, much to Padre Draco's dismay.
"Silly girl! Pedro will learn more things from Padre Ronald and I!" Padre Draco boasted. "Where is Pedro?" He asked.
"Outside." Ara replied meekly.
"Don't just stand there! Go and watch them!" Padre Draco commanded.
"Yes, Padre Draco." Ara replied then bowed.
With a reluctant spirit, she leaves the priest's room to watch over her charge and his friends. In the midst of people coming and going through the doors, Ara catches a glimpse of Esmeralda teaching Thérèse and Pedro about the Kingdom of God. The words that come out of her mouth make her speak to them as if she is one of the prophets truly chosen by God.
It's such a pity everybody wants to listen to God's Holy Word from a licentious man of the cloth's pulpit than to stop and hear God's Holy Word from a young woman. If only the priests and the wealthy Spanairds weren't so greedy, then Esmeralda would not fight them and cause the elite to look down upon their fellow member.
When Esmeralda, Thérèse and Pedro turned around, Ara blended herself with the crowd. Once the three passed by Ara, she followed them. Esmeralda, feeling the presence of somebody from behind, sends the children away. At this point, she and Ara meet face-to-face. Thinking the people will tell Padre Draco the contents of their discussion, Esmeralda takes the servant's soft hand and brings her behind a column.
"Ara, ever since Padre Draco allowed Thérèse and I returned to this church, I can see how different you and your friends became." Esmeralda said.
"Wha...What di..differences?" Ara asked shakily.
"You watch us whenever we come here." Esmeralda said. "Let me guess, Padre Draco told you to watch us when we are with Pedro? No?" She asked.
"Yes." Ara replied.
Knowing how judgemental and stern the wealthy people can be, Danica takes Esmeralda's hands and, with a desperate desire for forgiveness, says what she wants to say.
"Esmeralda, believe me, my friends and I tried to go against Padre Draco. But, he got mad at us. He said he will kick us out of this church if we don't obey him. If that happens, my little sister will never be healed."
"What happened to your sister?" Esmeralda asked.
"She vomits a lot, she doesn't eat well, she cannot walk and she has a high fever." Ara replied with tears coming out of her eyes.
"Why don't you go to a doctor?" Esmeralda asked.
"Esmeralda, for the love I have for my sister, I did not choose to work in Padre Mathias' mansion because he is a kind priest who will give me a lot of money. I know, I know. My life would have been better if I worked for him. But, if that happened, my mother will use all of the money for gambling."
"Do you have an aunt, an uncle or perhaps a father?" Esmeralda asked.
"No. My father left my family when my sister, Corazon, was a baby. He left because of my mother's debts. For my whole life and even now, I don't know my uncles, aunts, cousins or grandparents. The only family we have is each other. I was the one who nursed her when she was a baby. I was the one who taught her to walk and talk when she was a year old. And I am the one who would do things a mother should do. I clean her, I dress her, I cook her meals, I tell her stories, I play games with her and I comfort her when she is sad. But, most of all, I love her. She is the only one who gives me joy. She is the one who stops me from giving up whenever life is too hard. And she is the one who gives me pride. That's why, I will never forgive myself if she will die. I'll never know how laugh or smile again. And my life will have no sense." Ara replied, letting a massive river of tears to come out from her eyes.
Esmeralda, out of immense pity, carefully tucks away a quarter of her skirt and loosens the tie of the sack of Padre Ronald's money. After taking Ara's hands into hers, Esmeralda puts the sack of money in Ara's hands.
"But, Esmeralda, this is your money, not mine!" Ara protested.
"Hush, Ara. Take this so you can get a doctor who can heal your sick sister." Esmeralda said.
"No. Please, no. I can't accept this." Ara said humbly, giving back the money to Esmeralda.
"Ara, I know what it feels like to have a sibling. Having a sister or a brother is great. We can talk to them, we can play with them and we can do almost everything with them. When we love them too much, we see them as our friend and not our sister or brother anymore. Because of our love for them, we will do everything we can so they can't be sad, hurt or sick. Please accept this so a doctor can heal her." Esmeralda said.
"Thank you very much, Esmeralda." Ara said, hugging the young woman as she cries with tears of joy.
"You're welcome." Esmeralda said after they stopped hugging each other.
"What can I do for you in return?" Ara asked, once again wiping away her tears.
"Nothing. Your happiness is enough for me." Esmeralda replied.
From the bottom of her heart, Ara expresses her gratitude to her. Esmeralda simply nods with a smile. Since Pedro and Thérèse cannot be left unsupervised, Esmeralda and Ara return to the convent.
Padre Mathias, his half-brothers and half-nephew go to the chapel of the priest's mansion. In the solemn, little House of God, Judge Claude Frollo announces the good news to them.
"Padre Mathias, Jehan, Quasimodo, tomorrow I shall no longer be known as Judge Claude Frollo. Tomorrow, I shall be simply Monsieur Claude Frollo."
"You are going to retire, Uncle Claude?" Quasimodo asked enthusiastically.
"Yes, my dear nephew. Every day, at any time, we can be together." Judge Frollo replied, playfully messing up Quasimodo's red hair.
"Claude, is your lover the reason for your retirement?" Jehan asked, causing himself and Padre Mathias to laugh.
"Lover? Who is his lover?" Quasimodo asked.
"Nobody, dear nephew. Your uncle Jehan and your uncle Padre Mathias are just making me the figure of their slanderous jokes." Judge Frollo replied, looking sternly at his siblings.
"Come on, Claude. For the past few days, you and Esmeralda have been acting like lovers." Jehan said.
"What?" Quasimodo asked, feeling a bit hurt from the words he heard. "But, Uncle Claude is just Esmeralda's friend." He said, defending both his uncle and his love for Esmeralda.
"Quasimodo is correct. She and I are merely friends." Judge Frollo said reluctantly.
"But, you are old and you must take a woman to bring a little bit of pleasure into your life." Jehan joked.
Judge Frollo sighed frustratingly and proceeded to walk out of the chapel. Quasimodo and Padre Mathias followed Judge Frollo while Jehan is left behind.
"Uncle, do you really like Esmeralda?" Quasimodo asked, hoping his uncle does not have the same feelings for Esmeralda.
"No." Judge Frollo replied, causing Quasimodo to sigh in relief. "Do you like her?" He asked, disguising his jealousy with a sincere smile.
"Well...yes." Quasimodo replied honestly.
Quasimodo's answer struck Judge Frollo's heart. The pain was like a million arrows hitting his body. The numerous arrows caused a division in the judge's heart. On one side, he still loves his nephew like a real father. On the other side, he doesn't extinguish the flame of his passionate love for Esmeralda. Meanwhile, Padre Mathias is delighted by the news. The joy he had is the same as the joy he had when he ministered the secret wedding of his half-sister and half-brother-in-law.
"That's good, Quasimodo." Padre Mathias said. "I am sure you want to court her, marry her and live a good life with her." He added, causing Judge Frollo to be deeply saddened.
"No." Quasimodo said, sending tremendous shock to both of them.
"Why no?" Padre Mathias asked.
"Esmeralda seems to not like me at all. She only sees me as a friend, not a lover." Quasimodo replied. "And, besides, who could marry a deformed man like me?" He asked.
"Quasimodo, if you tell that to her, surely she will like you in return." Padre Mathias assured him, patting his half-nephew's unbalanced shoulders.
"Excuse me." Judge Frollo said then ran away to relieve himself from his crazy storm of emotions by doing one of his most beloved activities: horseriding.
In the small stable, Judge Frollo picks a black horse. Since there is nobody around, he just puts on the saddle and reins on the horse by himself. Once that is done, he leads the horse outside. Not wanting to be disturbed by any thoughts, he quickly settles himself on the horse and sets out for a ride.
Within a long period of time, Judge Frollo's thoughts fade away from his mind; the bitter memory of Quasimodo's revelation and his love for Esmeralda leaves the judge's mind. Eventually, Judge Frollo got tired. He stopped to get off the horse and rest beneath the shade of a mango tree. A few minutes later, a ripe mango suddenly lost its' grip on the tree and falls right on Judge Frollo's head. Being very frustrated, Judge Frollo angrily tosses the mango away.
Damn you, Quasimodo. He thought.
The words that echoed and bounced of the walls of his mind forced him to wake up from his trance of anger. How could he think of that? How could he do that to the only child of his sister? How could he break his promise to her on her deathbed by a single yet malicious thought? How could he think of that towards a loving and kind person like his nephew? How could he?
Stricken with grief by his thought, Judge Frollo rests his head on the tree's hard trunk and lets out a sigh. As if out of nowhere, Judge Frollo's mind brought up the past to him.
It was a dark and gloomy night in the convent of the Carmelites, which is the second night of Emily's labor. Judge Frollo, Jehan and Emily are very tired of waiting for the baby to come out. Padre Mathias, like his half-siblings, is also tired from chanting prayers repetitively. Even the nuns, who fervently prayed for the baby's safe delivery, did their best to fight off the temptation to sleep. Although Judge Frollo and Jehan themselves are born to beget children, they felt the pain their sister went through on that night. Despite being celibate servants of God, Padre Mathias and the nuns finally realized why a majority of the rich mothers do not love their children.
The brothers and the nuns did their best in retaining their strength and their patience. The midwife, sharing the same agony as everybody else, decided to call in a doctor. Emily approved the idea, for she wanted her child to be safe once he is born. Two hours later, after running through the rain, the doctor arrived. Since a lot of blood was being lost, the doctor did not hesitate to start the surgery.
When he started the surgery, Padre Mathias started to pray for Emily's entrance to Heaven. Judge Frollo was severely angered by the prayers Padre Mathias was uttering. For a moment, he gently put away Emily's hand to stop the priest from praying like that.
"MATHIAS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Judge Frollo shouted right in front of the priest's face. "YOU SHOULD BE PRAYING FOR OUR SISTER'S SAFETY, NOT HER DEATH, YOU FOOL!" He added.
"Forgive me, brother. But there is nothing else I could do now." Padre Mathias replied.
"DON'T BE STUPID! USE YOUR MIND AND START PRAYING FOR HER SAFETY!" Judge Frollo shouted.
"I can't, Claude. I can't." Padre Mathias said with a sorrowful face.
Then, Emily's open womb revealed a deformed baby. The child's appearance greatly shocked everybody. The midwife, some of the nuns and the doctor ran out of the room. Padre Mathias, after crossing himself, picked up little Quasimodo.
"What is it?" Emily asked faintly.
"A son." Padre Mathias replied.
"Gi...give him to me. Please." Emily requested.
Padre Mathias complied to his sister's wish. Emily, unlike the rest, smiled upon her son. His little arms waving in the air, his wails echoing and bouncing off the room's walls and the small wisps of red hair caressing his little scalp made his mother instantly fall in love with him.
"Please. Take. Care. Of. Him." Emily requested one last time.
"We will, Emily." Judge Frollo said.
"I love you, my son." Emily managed to squeeze out.
Thereafter, she sighed her last breath. Judge Frollo, Jehan and Quasimodo wept loudly at the same time. Padre Mathias, using the remaining pieces of his courage, shakily closed Emily's eyes then performed the sign of the cross. Not being able to stand to see his half-sister's corpse, Padre Mathias ran out of the room to mourn Emily's sudden death. While the nuns were comforting Padre Mathias, one nun stepped into the room and bravely cleaned and wrapped around Quasimodo in a swaddling.
"What should his name be?" The young nun asked.
"Because of that child's imperfect body, Quasimodo is his name." Judge Frollo replied bitterly.
"But that's unfair!" The nun said.
"SISTER, DON'T YOU DARE START A FIGHT WITH ME!" Judge Frollo barked.
The nun, not shaking off the fury she had with the judge, brought the child with her outside. Judge Frollo cradles the corpse of his sister and allows his eyes to shed an ocean of tears. Not only did Judge Frollo lose the only friend he ever had, but also one of the last things their mother left behind.
That scene became the last thing Judge Frollo's mind displayed. Thinking that everybody might be looking for him, he reluctantly rides on the horse and returns to the mansion. But still, he doesn't drop off the growing feelings of envy for his nephew.
As usual, Judge Frollo and Esmeralda meet each other in the city's empty plaza at night. Unbeknownst to both of them, this meeting will be more different than their previous meetings.
"Mademoiselle Esmeralda, your father sent me a letter." Judge Frollo said, giving the letter to his darling.
Due to the fact that she misses her father, Esmeralda hastily accepts the letter, opens it and reads it.
Dear Claude,
I wish to greet you my good wishes for your birthday. May you be always happy and safe and may you maintain your good health, strength and faith in God. And may your dearest friend, Don Jose, and his daughter, Señorita Josefita, be granted an entry to Heaven although they themselves have been excommunicated by the Holy Church.
My friend, please be good to those whom you love; especially to Quasimodo. Be kind to them and always make sure that they are safe, happy and healthy. Some days ago, my perfect jewel went missing. Her disappearance caused me great sadness and pain. Oh how painful it is to describe the pain and worry for my only, living daughter; oh what great pain my daughter's disappearance brought me. But fortunately, my dearest son, Clopin, is not missing. If he were to go missing like his sister, I will, may God forgive me, kill myself. My life would be more useless than rags. That's why I decided to let him stay in Paris than to join me to search for my daughter in the whole land of France.
My decision was right, for danger is now scattered between France and Italy. Some days ago, an undertaker reported to the police about the gruesome crimes Phoebus and Ramil committed. Phoebus wanted to rape an innocent girl, but her father protected her and had an argument with him. I guess that answers Esmeralda's question of why Phoebus was so mad when he visited us in my home. Then, Ramil murdered the poor girl's father. May God, our Father, bless her and protect her. A day after Phoebus and Ramil were brought to prison, they escaped. The first stop they made was at your half-brother's manor in Nice. A day later, those bloody pigs escaped again but with Enrique and some of his servants. I guess they have united to perform more acts of injustice to others.
By the way, as you might know, your half-brother murdered his own wife in Turin. I guess Jehan is Eduardo's father after all.
Now, I am more worried! I don't know where my daughter is and those men are out there. They might kill my own daughter! Oh how painful it would be if Clopin and I receive the news! What pain will it give me if I knew that badness won over goodness!
Claude, please pray for Esmeralda to be found; please pray for her safety and health. Please tell Saint Anthony, her favorite saint, to pray to God and bring her back to Clopin and I. We miss her.
Your good friend,
Monsieur Joseph Alexandre Lavoie
Teardrops fall from Esmeralda's cheeks and land on the paper. She holds the paper close to her heart, signifying how much she misses her father like how he misses her. Judge Frollo comforts her by patting her back. Unexpectedly, Esmeralda hugs him. After realizing her mistake, Esmeralda breaks off the hug.
"Forgive me, Judge Frollo. I just miss my father and brother." Esmeralda said, wiping away her tears.
"No, no. It is alright." Judge Frollo assured her.
"My poor, sweet Thérèse. What can she do when those murderers are lurking in the darkness, waiting for the right time to hurt her?" Esmeralda asked.
"Why must you worry about that if you, as a brave woman, are always with Thérèse?"
"What if one day Thérèse might go astray from Isabelle and I?" Esmeralda asked. "If that happened, they might take her away and kill her." She added, successfully persuading Judge Frollo to believe her theory.
"If only we knew where they are." Judge Frollo muttered.
"Where could they be?" Esmeralda asked curiously.
On the day Padre Ronald disappeared, he stole a horse to go to Padre Isaac's parish. Once he arrived, he and Padre Isaac discussed about changes in their lives ever since they separated. From their first conversation, Padre Ronald discovered that appointed Padre Isaac is not only the city's new curate, but also a nunnery's new director and chaplain. Therefore, Padre Isaac provides the nunnery as a home for Padre Ronald. In there, the friends enjoy performing their religious duties, talking to their favorite nuns, eating, napping and sleeping.
Padre Ronald is sleeping peacefully when voices and footsteps were heard. Feeling very drowsy and tired, Padre Ronald didn't bother to get out of bed. But when he heard the name of Don Enrique, he sprung out of his bed and approached Phoebus, Ramil, Padre Isaac and four nuns. The nuns moved away in order to give privacy to their director and their guests.
"Did you just say the name of Don Enrique Frollo?" Padre Ronald asked.
"Yes." Ramil replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable about the priest.
"Who are you? What do you know about Don Enrique?" Phoebus asked.
"I am Padre Ronald de Valladolid." Padre Ronald replied, making Phoebus and Ramil recognize him as their ally.
"Oh. Padre Ronald, Don Enrique wishes to know if Jehan died or not." Phoebus said, causing Padre Ronald to stare at them like he never saw a human before.
"Padre Ronald, are you alright?" Padre Isaac asked worriedly.
"Of course I am alright!" Padre Ronald blurted out.
"Then, why won't you answer the question? Is it because Jehan never died?" Phoebus asked.
Padre Ronald, willing to give up the truth, sighs and tells the truth.
"In that case, you, Ramil and I will kill Jehan after we return Don Enrique's children to him." Phoebus said.
"For now, enjoy your time in this fine nunnery." Ramil said.
"But, what you should enjoy the most are the nuns here. I must admit that I am very jealous of you, Padre, for you have a big group of women to sleep with." Phoebus suggested.
"I must ask, who are you?" Padre Ronald asked.
"I am Phoebus de Châteaupers."
"And I am Ramil Terreur."
"How come you know Don Enrique?" Padre Ronald asked.
"After we escaped prison, we sought refuge in your friend's manor." Phoebus replied.
"Believe us. We almost died when we asked permission to stay in your friend's manor for one night." Ramil replied jokingly.
"How did you almost die?" Padre Isaac asked.
"I pointed my knife against Enrique's neck. Then, he laughed. When I got confused, he pushed me and got out his gun to shoot me. But, he never shot me because Phoebus protected me from Enrique's gun. Enrique pointed his gun at Phoebus when he pointed his gun at him. Afterwards, we reconciled and decided to be together." Ramil replied.
"Oh." Padre Isaac said.
"Where are you staying at?" Padre Ronald asked.
"In Manila." Phoebus replied.
"What?! You will arrive in Laguna on September 10 and return to Manila on September 14!" Padre Ronald commented.
"That's a really long trip!" Padre Isaac said, agreeing with Padre Ronald.
"Who cares?" Phoebus asked. "For as long as we are with Enrique and comply to his wishes, nothing bad will happen to us." He said.
"Heh. Enrique is a truly one of the most clever men I know." Padre Ronald commented.
"Come along with me, men. I'll show you your bedrooms." Padre Isaac said, walking ahead of them.
Phoebus and Ramil followed him. Padre Ronald temporarily followed them so he can go to sleep.
What a night to remember for the four.
"Judge Frollo, forgive me. I don't see you nor Quasimodo as lovers." Esmeralda said.
Earlier, Judge Frollo asked if Quasimodo captured Esmeralda's heart. With honesty shown in her eyes and spoken from her mouth, she replied, "No." The answer brought relief to Judge Frollo. Esmeralda brought up what Jehan revealed to her. When Judge Frollo stared at her with pure shock, she delivered those remorseful yet stern words to Judge Frollo's ears.
"Please, mademoiselle. Please give me a chance to prove how much I love you. Please be benevolent. Please do not hurt my heart. Please, please, please." Judge Frollo begged on his knees. "I would do anything you want. I would harm myself to earn your love, I would give up every franc and reales I have to be with you and I would even allow the fires of hell to burn me so I can let you know how much my heart yearns to hear you give me your permission. Please, mademoiselle, please." He added.
Pity is the only thing Esmeralda felt for him. However, Judge Frollo did things Esmeralda hates. He has oppressed and murdered most of the Filipinos in the city of San Lorenzo and, therefore, must pay for those sins. Yet, Judge Frollo completely changed. Furthermore, he said to Esmeralda that he was forced by Padre Mathias to confess his sins to him. Not only did he reluctantly receive absolution from Padre Mathias, but also he gave large sums of money to the priest. Assumingly, the money landed into the hands of the victims' families. The fact of this gave Esmeralda relief.
By then, Esmeralda thought of two conditions for him.
"I will give you a chance, but you must promise me to do two things." Esmeralda said.
"Please tell me." Judge Frollo said.
"First, you must forgive Quasimodo." Esmeralda said.
"Forgive him for what?" Judge Frollo asked.
"Forgive him for being your rival." Esmeralda replied.
"How do you know?" Judge Frollo asked, getting up from the ground.
"Ever since we turned 20, he became affectionate towards me. But, although he is my friend, I don't like him to be my lover nor my spouse." Esmeralda replied. "And don't worry. I'll do something so that a violent feud can't erupt between both of you." She assured.
"If it's convincing him to fall out of love with you, I think it's not a good plan." Judge Frollo said.
"Why? Is it because he'll still love me if I do so?" Esmeralda asked.
"No. It's because he'll drown into a state of melancholia again. And if that happens, he might do something bad to himself." Judge Frollo replied, showing how much he loves the hunchback despite sharing the same love for the same woman with him.
"Is it not that is what you want to do to yourself?" Esmeralda asked curiously.
"Mademoiselle, I do not care about myself. All I care about is your well-being as well as that of Quasimodo, Madre, Jehan, Padre Mathias, Oscar and my friends." Judge Frollo said.
"You liar!" Esmeralda said jokingly, causing herself and Judge Frollo to giggle.
"I am not a liar, my dear. I am a man of my word." Judge Frollo said, wrapping his long hands around Esmeralda's waist.
Esmeralda, not being able to handle the feelings stirring up inside her, gives a nudge to Judge Frollo. Not wanting to go home without Judge Frollo knowing the second thing he must do, Esmeralda gives it to him.
"Judge Frollo, by the way, the second thing you must do is to tell Quasimodo the truth." Esmeralda said.
"Alright." Judge Frollo replied, not wanting to resist performing the last thing he would do.
Inside, he feels very vulnerable. Whatever Esmeralda tells him to do, whether it be something good or bad, he will do even if his thoughts will go against him. But, one thing is clear: he will do anything for the woman who unknowingly capture his heart.
"Judge Frollo, how come you fell in love with me?" Esmeralda asked curiously.
"It was a long time ago. It happened five years ago, during one of my visits to your home. On that day, the servant led Quasimodo and I to the drawing room. She went to a certain room to bring your father to the drawing room. Quasimodo and I waited for a long time. I grew impatient towards the servant. Therefore, I went out of the drawing room to go upstairs. At once, I heard your giggles and claps and a piano playing. Since Joseph might be there, I followed those sounds. Once I opened the door, I lost my mind and found you. You were dancing like tomorrow is just an illusion; you were the only one I paid attention to in that room.
From that moment and up to now, I don't know who you are. Are you a brave martyr who was canonized by God to be sent to this world? Are you an angel in disguise? Or are you a demon who corrupted my mind with a million lustful and loving thoughts? Was it your radiant beauty that attracted me? Was it the way you danced like a gypsy? Or your deep intelligence, your admirable generosity and your devotion to the same God we love and worship?
When your father stood up from his seat, I wanted to tell him to break off your betrothal to Phoebus and give you to me. But, I controlled myself from doing such a thing. Although I started talking to your father, I caught a glimpse of your heavenly face and saw it laced with anger. Your hatred for me is one of the things that made me own the idea of converting your hatred into love." Judge Frollo replied.
"Mademoiselle, I loved you from that day. And up to now, as I swear to God, I love you." He added, holding the hands of Esmeralda.
As Esmeralda's delicate hands are entwined with Judge Frollo's wrinkly hands, he takes one hand and kissed it.
Esmeralda's body became numb and her skin's tiny hair strands stood up straight. The manner Judge Frollo flawlessly delivered those words entranced her. The compassionate tone of voice melted Esmeralda's heart. And the act he just did made her heart beat faster.
"Judge Frollo, I must go now." Esmeralda said then released Judge Frollo's grip on her hands.
Seven steps away later, Esmeralda impishly runs towards Judge Frollo. She wraps her arms around his shoulders to plant a teasing kiss on his nose. Now that she further intimidated the judge's feelings, she runs away like a child. Judge Frollo fondly smiles. Suddenly, he remembered the letter he received from Monsieur Charles. He runs up to Esmeralda and gives her the letter.
"What is this?" Esmeralda asked curiously, examining the letter.
"A letter from Charles." Judge Frollo said.
"Oh." Esmeralda said. "I thought you were going to slap me for kissing your nose." She said, causing herself and Judge Frollo to laugh.
"I think it is your humor that also won my heart, mademoiselle." Judge Frollo said.
"Can you stop giving my ears the nicest words?" Esmeralda asked sarcastically.
"I will do so, if your heart belongs to me." Judge Frollo replied.
"Goodbye, Judge Frollo." Esmeralda said.
"Goodbye, mademoiselle." Judge Frollo said.
Before Esmeralda walked away, Judge Frollo told her what he wants her to know.
"Mademoiselle Esmeralda." Judge Frollo called out.
"Yes?" Esmeralda asked, turning around.
"Tomorrow, I am going to retire from my judicial duties." Judge Frollo said.
"Really?" Esmeralda asked, not believing what she heard.
"Yes." Judge Frollo said, walking closer towards Esmeralda.
"I guess I must call you Monsieur Claude Frollo, if you want me to do so." Esmeralda said.
"Yes." Judge Frollo said. "Now, go back to your friend's home, my dear. The guards might catch us." He said.
"Alright." Esmeralda said then finally left Judge Frollo.
While on her way back to Jean's house, Esmeralda felt something attached to her waist. Curious about the object, she stops and brings it out. In her hands, she carries a single rose.
It looks like he really changed. Esmeralda thought.
A/N *school bell rings* Hey, Guys. You know what that means.
Baldi: *randomly enters this note* "It's time for math, everybody's favorite subject!"
Me: "Really, Baldi? Do you think Math is the favorite subject of those who love History, Science, Theology, P.E., Art, Music, Literature, Home Economics and Languages? What's wrong with you?"
Baldi: *prepares stick to whack the hell out of me*
Me: "I'll be back after this quick chase." *runs around and screams at the same time*
Spongebob Narrator: "Two Hours Later."
*sighs* Thank God I lost Baldi by grabbing Robin Hood's bow and arrows and using those to kill Baldi. Anyways, I have two religiously historical lessons to share with you.
-King David belongs to the lineage of Abraham by his great-grandparents, Ruth and Boaz, his grandfather, Obed, and his father, Jesse. David was once a shepherd during the reign of Israel's first king, Saul. David, a meek shepherd boy, became the second king of Israel when he was secretly anointed by the prophet Samuel. God chose David become the new king because Saul sinned against the Lord. So, you can label this story as the from-rags-to-riches-story-but-with-God-choosing-a-shepherd-boy-to-become-His-people's-king.
After David was anointed, Saul was tormented by an evil spirit. His servants suggested him to get David, who was a talented player of the harp. Saul hastily agreed. Ironically, David became Saul's favorite person and assigned him to carry his weapons.
One day, at Elah Valley, a battle between the Israelites and Amalekites was waged. Since David's older brothers were there, he was tasked by his father to bring food to them and their commanding general and to see how are his brothers. At the time David approached his brothers, Goliath challenged the Israelites to defeat him. David, with his faith in God, five stones from a nearby stream and a sling, defeated Goliath. The Philistines, as well as Saul, feared him.
Saul started to mistreat David. Jonathan, Saul's son, decided to help David escape from his father's plots against David. Sometime later, Saul and Jonathan died in a battle. Hooray! David can finally ascend the throne.
During his reign, David unified Israel and Judah and became a great, respectable and fair king. David was succeeded by his son, Solomon.
Btw, David is Jesus' ancestor. Yeah. I was also shocked when I discovered that. If you're wondering, Jesus is a descendant of David through His Mother, Mary.
-King Ahab was far worse than King David. Ever since he married a pagan princess named Jezebel, he prayed to baal instead of God and wreaked havoc on Israel.
One of the most cruel things Ahab did was killing an old man so he can claim the poor old man's vineyard as his own.
Fortunately, this dude's regime ended when he died in a battle. When the battle ended, the soldiers returned to the battlefield to retrieve Ahab's corpse from his chariot. Then, they saw the most disgusting thing ever. Dogs were having a feast on Ahab's body and prostitutes were taking a bath in his blood. Imagine the disgusted faces worn by the soliders and the countless times the soldiers puked on the ground.
Bye! Have a great time!