Chapter Three
A Sparkling Jade
Christian stepped off the train, back in Paris; from where he was standing -at the edge of
the station- he could see the Moulin Rouge, rebuilt as if nothing had happened. Gathering
his one suitcase, Christian hailed a buggy, telling the driver to take him to the Moulin
Rouge.
While Christian had neared Paris on the train, Jade was
celebrating her debut at the Moulin Rouge. The show was over and all the courtesans who
were not "working" had joined Jade, Roxanne and Zilder in the back of the Moulin Rouge for
the party. Zilder had ordered fancy food and drinks -which never happed at the Moulin Rouge-
to welcome their new singer to the club. Jade was sipping a light wine with Roxanne and
relaxing on an old couch that had seen better days. Roxanne was still telling Jade how great
she was that night. "Do you really think so, I mean did I sing like The Sparkling Diamond?"
Jade asked, sipping lazily at her drink.
"Well, I never heard the Sparkling Diamond sing but Zilder seems to think so."
Roxanne answered, looking around the small room. The girls were eating and laughing,
everyone was having a good time.
"Who was the Sparkling Diamond anyway? If you know." Jade asked.
"Sure I know, everyone at the Moulin Rouge knows who she was." Roxanne said.
Jade raised an eyebrow as if saying "Not everyone".
"The Sparkling Diamond's real name was Satine, she was beautiful, that's what
the Diamond Dogs say. She had reddish brown hair, like yours, and pale skin. She had the
most beautiful voice. She fell in love with a young poet who wrote the show Spectacular
Spectacular which was the Moulin Rouge's first theater show. She was the star of the show."
Roxanne said.
"What happened to her?" Jade asked.
"She died, on the opening night of Spectacular Spectacular, right in her lover's
arms." Roxanne answered.
Jade didn't say anything, just stared down at the ground. She had
sung the Sparkling Diamond's song without even knowing anything about her. "What happened to
the man she loved?" Jade asked.
"I don't really know, Zilder says he became a famous poet and wrote a book about
Satine. He never came back to the Moulin Rouge. After the Sparkling Diamond died the Moulin
Rouge seemed to die as well, it shut down and fell apart. Until recently, I guess, Harold
got money from somewhere to rebuild it." Roxanne said, taking a drink from her cup, which
was nestled in between her palms.
"That's sad." Jade muttered, off-handed but she meant it. Changing
the subject, Jade thought of The Diamond Dogs. "And what about the Diamond Dogs,
why are they so special?" Jade asked.
"The Diamond Dogs are hand chosen by Harold, I guess, they are the most
gorgeous of all the courtesans. The Sparkling Diamond wasn't a Diamond Dog, she was too
beautiful." Roxanne answered, sipping from her cup.
"Oh." Jade muttered, setting her drink down on a near-by table. Sighing, she laid
her head back against the couch backing; she noticed that a rose was still tucked behind
her ear. Pulling it out, Jade spun it around in her fingers.
Harold came over to join the two girls on the couch; he sat himself between
Jade and Roxanne who hurried to make a spot for him. "How's my new star?" Harold asked,
clearly he adored the youngest girl at the Moulin Rouge.
Jade smiled. "Couldn't be happier. This is great, it's a lot better then my
home in London." Jade answered.
"Why did you leave London, anyway?" Roxanne asked.
"I wanted to come here to be a singer and to be part of The Bohemian
Revolution." Jade answered. "My father wouldn't let me come so I came on my own."
"Well, you've gotten what you wanted, you'll be the star singer every night."
Harold said.
Jade's eyes went wide. "Every night? No, I couldn't really. Sing the same song
every night?" Jade asked.
Harold smiled at her. "The Sparkling Diamond did, every night and business was
always the best. You're just like her." Harold said.
Jade didn't say anything; she didn't know what to say. She hadn't even been here on
e day and already she was the star of the Moulin Rouge. Curious, Jade asked, "Why did you
call Satine the 'Sparkling Diamond'?"
"She was a diamond, she always shown. She was beautiful and full of sprit. She
was the star of the Moulin Rouge and the star of the Moulin Rouge's first and last show."
Harold answered.
"But now Jade is the star." Roxanne said, smiling at her. "And a jade is a gem
too." She was trying to make a point.
Jade and Harold frowned, they didn't understand what Roxanne was trying to say.
Roxanne sighed. "All I'm saying is that since Jade is the star now and a jade
is a type of gem just like a diamond maybe Jade could be The Sparkling Jade or something.
It even fits her name." Roxanne said, angry that no one caught on before.
Jade smiled, she liked the idea but didn't feel right about taking the title
away from Satine, even if she never knew her.
Harold seemed to like the idea as well. "Yes, that does seem to fit."
He said, standing up. "It's getting late and we have to teach you the 'ropes' of the Moulin
Rouge."
Harold left the room, leaving Jade to think about her new title and her new
'home'. Well, the Moulin Rouge was better than her old home.
A Sparkling Jade
Christian stepped off the train, back in Paris; from where he was standing -at the edge of
the station- he could see the Moulin Rouge, rebuilt as if nothing had happened. Gathering
his one suitcase, Christian hailed a buggy, telling the driver to take him to the Moulin
Rouge.
While Christian had neared Paris on the train, Jade was
celebrating her debut at the Moulin Rouge. The show was over and all the courtesans who
were not "working" had joined Jade, Roxanne and Zilder in the back of the Moulin Rouge for
the party. Zilder had ordered fancy food and drinks -which never happed at the Moulin Rouge-
to welcome their new singer to the club. Jade was sipping a light wine with Roxanne and
relaxing on an old couch that had seen better days. Roxanne was still telling Jade how great
she was that night. "Do you really think so, I mean did I sing like The Sparkling Diamond?"
Jade asked, sipping lazily at her drink.
"Well, I never heard the Sparkling Diamond sing but Zilder seems to think so."
Roxanne answered, looking around the small room. The girls were eating and laughing,
everyone was having a good time.
"Who was the Sparkling Diamond anyway? If you know." Jade asked.
"Sure I know, everyone at the Moulin Rouge knows who she was." Roxanne said.
Jade raised an eyebrow as if saying "Not everyone".
"The Sparkling Diamond's real name was Satine, she was beautiful, that's what
the Diamond Dogs say. She had reddish brown hair, like yours, and pale skin. She had the
most beautiful voice. She fell in love with a young poet who wrote the show Spectacular
Spectacular which was the Moulin Rouge's first theater show. She was the star of the show."
Roxanne said.
"What happened to her?" Jade asked.
"She died, on the opening night of Spectacular Spectacular, right in her lover's
arms." Roxanne answered.
Jade didn't say anything, just stared down at the ground. She had
sung the Sparkling Diamond's song without even knowing anything about her. "What happened to
the man she loved?" Jade asked.
"I don't really know, Zilder says he became a famous poet and wrote a book about
Satine. He never came back to the Moulin Rouge. After the Sparkling Diamond died the Moulin
Rouge seemed to die as well, it shut down and fell apart. Until recently, I guess, Harold
got money from somewhere to rebuild it." Roxanne said, taking a drink from her cup, which
was nestled in between her palms.
"That's sad." Jade muttered, off-handed but she meant it. Changing
the subject, Jade thought of The Diamond Dogs. "And what about the Diamond Dogs,
why are they so special?" Jade asked.
"The Diamond Dogs are hand chosen by Harold, I guess, they are the most
gorgeous of all the courtesans. The Sparkling Diamond wasn't a Diamond Dog, she was too
beautiful." Roxanne answered, sipping from her cup.
"Oh." Jade muttered, setting her drink down on a near-by table. Sighing, she laid
her head back against the couch backing; she noticed that a rose was still tucked behind
her ear. Pulling it out, Jade spun it around in her fingers.
Harold came over to join the two girls on the couch; he sat himself between
Jade and Roxanne who hurried to make a spot for him. "How's my new star?" Harold asked,
clearly he adored the youngest girl at the Moulin Rouge.
Jade smiled. "Couldn't be happier. This is great, it's a lot better then my
home in London." Jade answered.
"Why did you leave London, anyway?" Roxanne asked.
"I wanted to come here to be a singer and to be part of The Bohemian
Revolution." Jade answered. "My father wouldn't let me come so I came on my own."
"Well, you've gotten what you wanted, you'll be the star singer every night."
Harold said.
Jade's eyes went wide. "Every night? No, I couldn't really. Sing the same song
every night?" Jade asked.
Harold smiled at her. "The Sparkling Diamond did, every night and business was
always the best. You're just like her." Harold said.
Jade didn't say anything; she didn't know what to say. She hadn't even been here on
e day and already she was the star of the Moulin Rouge. Curious, Jade asked, "Why did you
call Satine the 'Sparkling Diamond'?"
"She was a diamond, she always shown. She was beautiful and full of sprit. She
was the star of the Moulin Rouge and the star of the Moulin Rouge's first and last show."
Harold answered.
"But now Jade is the star." Roxanne said, smiling at her. "And a jade is a gem
too." She was trying to make a point.
Jade and Harold frowned, they didn't understand what Roxanne was trying to say.
Roxanne sighed. "All I'm saying is that since Jade is the star now and a jade
is a type of gem just like a diamond maybe Jade could be The Sparkling Jade or something.
It even fits her name." Roxanne said, angry that no one caught on before.
Jade smiled, she liked the idea but didn't feel right about taking the title
away from Satine, even if she never knew her.
Harold seemed to like the idea as well. "Yes, that does seem to fit."
He said, standing up. "It's getting late and we have to teach you the 'ropes' of the Moulin
Rouge."
Harold left the room, leaving Jade to think about her new title and her new
'home'. Well, the Moulin Rouge was better than her old home.