Erik's POV
I never thought my child would have hit me, especially in my wounded side. When I felt him strike me, I immediately let my boy go to grasp my sore side. The child much have broken the stitches, for I could feel something sticky seeping through my shirt. I ran and ran all the way until I reached the café Christine worked at. The moment I entered, the woman came running towards me and pulled me into the kitchen to get away from everyone else.
"Gustave," I growled. "He…He did this."
Christine sat me down on a stack of flower and began to pull away my shirt in order to gain access to my wound.
"Erik, stay still, Ange…"
I tried staying still, but it was simply no use, I was in dire agony.
"Erik, you're all right… You just need a few new bandages."
"Gustave did this to me… That brat! He ran away from me and then, when I found him again, he hit me."
Christine handed me a glass of water and I slowly sipped on it. I took a few needed breaths and calmed myself down. Gustave was hiding beneath a table, and I was ready to grab him.
"Erik, calm down, let's just go home, all right? You need to rest…"
I was glad Christine's shift was over by the time I arrived, for if I had to walk home with Gustave, I would have probably punished the boy. When we arrived home, Christine helped me to my room and I was placed down on my bed. The woman disappeared for a few moments, reappearing with a damp cloth.
"Erik, maybe we're going about this the wrong way…"
"What do you mean?"
"I know we both have to work, Erik, but you make a lot more money than I do. Dr. Gangle doesn't mind Gustave being there one or two days during the week, but you shouldn't have to be the one taking him all the time. Erik, I could quit and stay home."
"No…Christine, you will not quit. I have something better planned for you. The job I have in mind for you will give you enough free time to where you can watch Gustave."
"Erik, please…"
"Tomorrow… Tomorrow I am taking you to the Opera House and you're going to audition. Do you understand me?"
Christine bowed her head and nodded.
"Yes, Erik…"
For a while, I closed my eyes and eventually fell into a dreamless slumber. I had to admit that I was exhausted…more exhausted than I had ever been. When I woke that evening, I opened my eyes to find Christine fast asleep beside me. I pressed a delicate kiss to her neck and closed my eyes to rest, hearing a loud crack of thunder occurring from outside. I yawned and closed my eyes once more, ready to fall back asleep when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Dada?"
It was Gustave… Yes, we had left things at terrible terms this afternoon, but I knew tomorrow we would be the best of friends once again.
"Yes?"
The child approached my bed and had his blanket wrapped around him.
"It's storming…"
"I told you before that it's only a storm. You should go back to bed…"
"Could I sleep with you?"
Knowing that he wasn't going to leave, I nodded, only to have him crawl in beside me. With him in between Christine and me, I closed my eyes and was ready to drift off to sleep once more.
"Dada?"
"Yes, Gustave?"
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you today. I…I was just so angry and scared, scared that you were going to punish me."
"It's all right… You were born with the same ill temper as I was. We don't mean to do what we do…It's just in us."
"I'm still sorry… Mama told me that I really hurt you. Forgive me?"
"Yes…How could I not forgive you? You're my son. We're best friends…"
With that, my son snuggled up beside me and closed his eyes…Tonight had been a good night. I knew Christine had work the following morning and I didn't expect to catch her before she left…But if there was one thing I didn't expect to see, it was Nadir standing at my bedside.
"Khan?" the moment I opened my eyes, I gasped and scurried to cover my bare chest.
"Calm down, man… You have the same things as I have."
"How did you get in here?"
"Gustave let me in…"
"Is there a reason why you're here?"
"I just wanted to check on you… That terrible brawl the other day had me worried."
"I'm all right," I said. "My side is killing me, but it isn't as bad as it was. Nothing was worse than having my ribs removed."
"You're probably right on that one…"
"Are you waiting for me to invite you down for breakfast or something?"
"Breakfast would be nice, Erik, but sadly, I was on my way to work."
After checking the time, I realized that I had to do the same.
"Well, Khan, I thank you for the unannounced visit, but I have to get dressed and get going as well. A big day for Christine today… She's going to audition for the opera house. It's something she's destined to do. I know that she will win over the owner with her voice, and will soon become the toast of New York."
"In that case, I wish you all the best of luck."
After escorting Nadir out, I hurried back to my wardrobe and began to undress. Seconds later, I heard my door opening and spotted Gustave walking in. I immediately covered my naked body with the shirt I had taken out of the wardrobe.
"Is a little privacy too much to ask for? Your uncle already saw me half naked today…"
"Mama always says that yourself condsus…"
"That's self conscious," I corrected. "And no, I am not. I just like my privacy is all."
Instead of leaving, the boy hopped up on my windowsill and began to sway his feet back and forth while I quickly continued to dress myself.
"You can see the whole city right from your bedroom window," the child excitedly exclaimed. "I like it…"
"I thought you would have enjoyed going into the city better… You're adventurous, much like I was when I was your age."
"I…I used to like the city… Until what happened a few days ago. I don't like people anymore. They take one look at me and want to hurt me."
My son buried his face into his knees.
"I…I know that I will never have any friends to play with. When we're out, I always see other boys playing on the beach with one another. I want to go up to them and introduce myself, but then I think about what happened and decide not to."
"What about Reza? He always comes around with Nadir?"
"He's older than me and we really don't have much in common. He likes to play with the older kids."
"I'm sure you will make plenty of friends once you start school in a few years. You'll meet all sorts of children that you'll have more friends than what you know what to do with."
This seemed to lift the child's spirits… I could only hope that it were true. When I was growing up, I didn't have anyone but Christine. Whenever I tried to make new friends, the children would laugh and be cruel to me. I didn't want my son to follow in the same footsteps. I also knew that I wasn't going to be able to send him to a regular school with normal children. The world was a different place now, and Coney Island was the only part of the city where we were safe. I knew when the time came for him to start school, I would have to find one that was for the freaks of Coney Island.
"You're not dressed, boy," I said, shooing him from off the windowsill. "Come along now, we're running late. Go get dressed and put on your mask."
"Where are we going, Dada?"
"To work, of course… But today is a very special day, for your mother is going to be auditioning for the opera house…"
"What does it mean to audition?"
"It means that she's going to try to impress the owner with her voice. If all goes well, then your mother will be singing every night for the opera house. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
"Mama does have a very nice voice… Do you think we could go to the café today? Dr. Gangle always gives me cookies and milk."
"We shall see. For now, I must do my rounds and after that we're going to the opera house. Your mother is going to meet us there. If all goes well, which I know it will, I will be taking us out to dinner."
I thanked God that it was a slow day, otherwise, I would have never arrived at the opera house on time. Once we arrived, the auditions were already underway. At least ten other women who believed themselves to be Coney Island's greatest diva. I knew they weren't for the greatest diva was standing on the other side of the stage. I smiled and began to make my way over to her while some bat was currently belting out a horrible song on stage. Oh, diva indeed…
"Christine, there you are…"
She was nervous, I could sense it…
"Christine, you're almost up."
She nodded and took a deep breath. Something was most certainly wrong, but she was trying to pull it off as if nothing was wrong.
"Christine?"
Before the woman could say another word, she went running to the back of the stage. After telling Gustave to say put, I chased after her. I found the woman leaning over a sink in the back room.
"Christine?"
"Erik, I…I can't go on. I can't audition."
"And why can't you audition? Your voice is perfect and it's one that needs to be shared with the world. You would be the toast of New York."
I brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear to calm her down.
"You're going to be great… You're on now."
I pressed my lips up against hers and hurried back to the auditorium to watch her sing. In my mind, I imagined that she would be perfect, her voice bringing tears to those who were here…But instead of tears, the jaws of many dropped, and not because she was good. She was upset and nervous, her voice breaking every few seconds. This wasn't her…This wasn't the Christine I once knew. When we were children, she used to sing to me and she was perfect. What was she doing now?
"All right," the manager said. "We've seen enough… We'll be in touch."
"Dada, what's wrong with mama? She didn't sing like she usually does."
"Stay here," I said, gathering to my feet and hurrying back stage. I was angry…my blood boiling within me. After everything we had been through, after all the heartache! I only wanted to make her life better and she ruined it on purpose!
"What's wrong with you?!" I roared as I grabbed her shoulders. "You blew it! You blew the audition!"
Christine had tears in her eyes, tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
"I only sang to you because I loved you… I never wanted any of this. You wanted this, not me! I love my job at the café…"
"You're a poor waitress, Christine!" I growled. "You work for tips! You're unappreciated!"
My words had scared her, for she broke away from my grasp and backed up towards the door.
"I'm not poor! I thought I was rich in love…"
"Love isn't going to keep us afloat! You're living on hopes and dreams!"
I knew I had hurt Christine, for she slapped me in the face and raced back into the auditorium. The last thing I saw was her taking my child and fleeing the opera house…
Way to go Erik... You know just what to say to sweep a woman off her feet! How is he going to fix this one? Sorry once again about the late updating. Still really sick. It's better than it's been, but I would love to know who was carrying this before me. Anyway, please review! I shall try to update again soon. My newest story shall be uploaded within a week or two as well.
