Chapter Six – Republican?
After school, Maman and Petit Ana were very excited to hear Louis' and my stories of the day. I told them basically everything (except the Henri episode) and Louis followed suit. The next day of school we learned five whole letters, but I had taken Louis' advice. A book was under my desk and I was reading intently, but still keeping an ear out for Mme Frietag's incessant droning. At lunch, Toulouse, Gerard, and I sat together. Toulouse and I would help Gerard with the alphabet, (which he picked up rather quickly) and Gerard would tell us fantastical stories he could naturally come up with off the top of his head. We had such fun together. Then, a few weeks into the year, during lunch, I was forced to leave the table by Mme Frietag. Toulouse looked worried, but said nothing. Gerard turned an interesting shade of off-white in terror, but I walked off with no intimidation in my step. Louis saw this and said loudly, "Mme Frietag, that's another Lambert you're dealing with! Watch out!" His friends laughed.
I laughed nervously, knowing this could be nothing good. When I reached the now-empty classroom with her, she produced my book from her desk. "You left this on your chair, M. Lambert." I nodded and started to ask for it back when she continued.
"You know the author of this book has Republican tendencies?" WHAT? I go from a supposed illiterate to political guru in two weeks? Is she crazy? "M. Lambert, I need to confiscate this. Nothing by this author is allowed in this school building, do you understand me?" I nodded dumbly, scrambling for understanding. "You may go back to lunch."
I did so. Slowly. I had a vague feeling that I had heard the word Republican before. Maybe I had heard it from my mother, indeed, that was most likely. I'd ask her soon, and then I wondered why I had not asked her before. In the meantime, I'd ask Louis, and maybe 'Ferre too.
"Louis!" He turned around eagerly.
"How'd it go?" He then turned back to his friends, "See! He's still standing!" Then back to me.
"Fine, I think. What's a Republican?"
"A guy who doesn't like Kings. Why?"
"Apparently the author of the book I was reading is one. I accidentally left my book behind, and she found it. Then she said that I couldn't have it back because the author doesn't like Kings."
"Well, sometimes that's just how it works out. Sorry little guy."
"Maman?"
"What is it dear?"
I made up my mind to ask why being someone who doesn't like kings is such a big problem. I wasn't so sure I loved kings myself, I mean, they don't do much for the people. And in most books I read, they tended to be mean and uncaring. But I knew those were just books. In real life, I hadn't heard much about the King. To me, he was a name, nothing more. So what if someone didn't like him?
"My book I was reading was taken by Mme Frietag because she said that the author was a Republican." Maman didn't seem to like this conversation very much.
"I see," was her only response.
"But why is that a problem? I don't understand. If you don't like kings then that doesn't mean anything. Does it?" She shook her head. Then she called Louis and Ana into the room.
"If I'm going to tell Enjolras, I may as well tell you too. Just make sure never to tell any of this political talk to anyone. Even if you trust them. It's too dangerous."
I was never told so much. I realized now that I was a Republican. Maman gave me a few books to read, which, admittedly, I didn't understand fully until a few years later, but I gobbled them up at my half- understanding stage anyway. The danger of the situation was hard pressed upon me, and I didn't even mention it to Ferre or Fay. (We had long since adopted shortened versions of our last names, though for some reason I remained "Enjolras" or sometimes "Enj". Lambert is too common a name to use, I guess.)
I managed to keep quiet, though it was very hard. I would often be silent through long stretches of conversation when I would normally be wont to speak. Ferre noticed it, and told me to stop being so quiet, and I soon learned to ignore my impulse to discuss the politics. It was not long before it settled firmly into the back of my mind.
I was to learn much, much more the day we had our first history lesson.
After school, Maman and Petit Ana were very excited to hear Louis' and my stories of the day. I told them basically everything (except the Henri episode) and Louis followed suit. The next day of school we learned five whole letters, but I had taken Louis' advice. A book was under my desk and I was reading intently, but still keeping an ear out for Mme Frietag's incessant droning. At lunch, Toulouse, Gerard, and I sat together. Toulouse and I would help Gerard with the alphabet, (which he picked up rather quickly) and Gerard would tell us fantastical stories he could naturally come up with off the top of his head. We had such fun together. Then, a few weeks into the year, during lunch, I was forced to leave the table by Mme Frietag. Toulouse looked worried, but said nothing. Gerard turned an interesting shade of off-white in terror, but I walked off with no intimidation in my step. Louis saw this and said loudly, "Mme Frietag, that's another Lambert you're dealing with! Watch out!" His friends laughed.
I laughed nervously, knowing this could be nothing good. When I reached the now-empty classroom with her, she produced my book from her desk. "You left this on your chair, M. Lambert." I nodded and started to ask for it back when she continued.
"You know the author of this book has Republican tendencies?" WHAT? I go from a supposed illiterate to political guru in two weeks? Is she crazy? "M. Lambert, I need to confiscate this. Nothing by this author is allowed in this school building, do you understand me?" I nodded dumbly, scrambling for understanding. "You may go back to lunch."
I did so. Slowly. I had a vague feeling that I had heard the word Republican before. Maybe I had heard it from my mother, indeed, that was most likely. I'd ask her soon, and then I wondered why I had not asked her before. In the meantime, I'd ask Louis, and maybe 'Ferre too.
"Louis!" He turned around eagerly.
"How'd it go?" He then turned back to his friends, "See! He's still standing!" Then back to me.
"Fine, I think. What's a Republican?"
"A guy who doesn't like Kings. Why?"
"Apparently the author of the book I was reading is one. I accidentally left my book behind, and she found it. Then she said that I couldn't have it back because the author doesn't like Kings."
"Well, sometimes that's just how it works out. Sorry little guy."
"Maman?"
"What is it dear?"
I made up my mind to ask why being someone who doesn't like kings is such a big problem. I wasn't so sure I loved kings myself, I mean, they don't do much for the people. And in most books I read, they tended to be mean and uncaring. But I knew those were just books. In real life, I hadn't heard much about the King. To me, he was a name, nothing more. So what if someone didn't like him?
"My book I was reading was taken by Mme Frietag because she said that the author was a Republican." Maman didn't seem to like this conversation very much.
"I see," was her only response.
"But why is that a problem? I don't understand. If you don't like kings then that doesn't mean anything. Does it?" She shook her head. Then she called Louis and Ana into the room.
"If I'm going to tell Enjolras, I may as well tell you too. Just make sure never to tell any of this political talk to anyone. Even if you trust them. It's too dangerous."
I was never told so much. I realized now that I was a Republican. Maman gave me a few books to read, which, admittedly, I didn't understand fully until a few years later, but I gobbled them up at my half- understanding stage anyway. The danger of the situation was hard pressed upon me, and I didn't even mention it to Ferre or Fay. (We had long since adopted shortened versions of our last names, though for some reason I remained "Enjolras" or sometimes "Enj". Lambert is too common a name to use, I guess.)
I managed to keep quiet, though it was very hard. I would often be silent through long stretches of conversation when I would normally be wont to speak. Ferre noticed it, and told me to stop being so quiet, and I soon learned to ignore my impulse to discuss the politics. It was not long before it settled firmly into the back of my mind.
I was to learn much, much more the day we had our first history lesson.