How could I have been so blind as not to see a horse coming my way? The wheelchair I was condemned to almost killed my spirit. Seasons changed,Pearl grew...Melinda was a godsend. I never left the house until Pearl was 5. That outting proved to be disastorous.
At my suggestion,Melinda and I were taking Pearl to a nearby zoo for her birthday. Those ripe red scars from the disease hadn't faded a single shade,damn them. We went on a late Monday morning,thining noone would be there. Pearl had such a love of animals,I thought perhaps she may someday follow in my medical footsteps and work with a vetrinarian. The job may have slightly less pay,but it was still sufficent enough.
I couldn't have been more wrong about the crowds.
More than twenty children's groups were visiting,one group around my daughter's age. I could feel myself start to worry at the sight. Certainly Pearl would want to know who these children were..she would want to play..
My mind wandered to Madeleine's boy,not for the first time in reference to Pearl. What a hypocrite I would be if I shut her away,after trying to place Erik in an enviroment with his kind. After all,these youngsters were her kind,weren't they? Melinda started to hide the girl,but I only shook my head. I would NOT raise a female Erik. I refused to....and what a fool I was!
As Melinda stepped away from Pearl once more,heads began to turn our way and a whisper broke out...but ever so slowly,frowns and gasps turned to smiles and laughter. Pearl blinked and looked towards me in a terribly confused manner,"Papa..why do they stare so..?" She asked in a very unhappy tone that brought a tear to my eye. Though...oddly,I wasn't the one to answer her question.
A young boy,maybe 6, with untidy brown hair and bright blue eyes walked toward us,his gaze almost locked on Pearl. "Because Mademoiselle," he said in a sugary sweet tone."We never see such beauty,even in art class. What's your name?" Pearl twisted the front of her dress as she looked at me,almost as if asking for permission to give her name. It had never occured to me that she may be shy,but my heart leapt at this very young gentleman making her aquantice on his own.
After all,everyone needs a childhood friend.
I nodded and she answered his patient silence,"Pearl...Pearl Barye." The boy grinned and shook her hand,which got a slight frown from his teacher,"I'm Charles Lipote. It's nice to meet you,Pearl." He seemed to think for a moment,then spoke again,"Hey..um..do you want to go see the seals? They're giving another show in 10 minutes and my group is going. If it's okay with your father you could come too!"I was nodding when Pearl looked at me,though if I had seen the three boys toward the back of the group popping their knuckles,I'm quite sure I would have reconsidered.
Pearl went off quite happily with Charles,both of them laughing,no doubt,over one of Pearl's jokes. She did have quite a few good ones after all.
Melinda and I traveled to the reptile exhibits,my personal favorite of any zoo. We would simply meet Pearl outside when Charles' group came out for lunch.
I thought nothing of the soft touches I received from Melinda. That is,until she dropped to her knees in front of my wheelchair,just outside the boa constrictor's enclosure,sobbbing,"Oh Etienne,I cannot keep my secret any longer! I have loved you long before you met Madeleine and brought Pearl home. I love you from the depths of my silly envious soul. Please...forgive me..." I stared at her in silence for long moments,wondering why in God's name she would love a cripple. "Melinda,dear,get up," I whispered to her. "You'll ruin that beautiful dress." She looked up,directly into my eyes,studying me. Whether it was for flattery or flaw,I doubt I shall ever know.
As she stood I examined her figure,as if I could help myself,and couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't already caught the eye of another man. I was no longer staring at a sexless friend,but at a lovely woman who was already quite close to my heart,a woman who had waited all this time,nearly 6 years,to tell me she loved me. Madeleine had gotten a letter years ago,telling her our daughter was alive and well,but she had never replied. She had moved on,now it was my turn. Perhaps before I knew what I was saying,I spoke a simple sentence that I shall never regret. "I love you too,Melinda. Why didn't you tell me sooner..?" She stood,staring at me,as if I had asked for her hand in marriage. "I was afraid of what you would say Etienne. You wouldn't have Pearl,had I said anything.." When she finished,I realized she was right. Had Madeleine never entered my life...PEARL!
Oh,it had to be at least an hour past lunch! We rushed to the front gates,just to see Charles' group gathering their things to leave. The teacher approached us with a solemn look on her young face,"Monseiur,Madame,there has been an...incident." The look on my face must have fightened her,for her own was white in a second's time. "Monseiur,Pearl only has a scratch or two. Some of my boys thought it would be humorous to...ah...give the child a few more scars. Charles fought them off himself,I..I should think you would want to reward him for that. I assure you,the boys who...did this,will be severely punished." She paused here to glance towards a tree,"They are over there. It was not Pearl's fault,she is really a delightful child."
Melinda and I were already moving towards the huge trunk of the old tree,soft sobs were audible. I recognized Pearl's weak,tiny crying voice repeating 'why..?why..??' over and over again,almost in time with Charles' calm whisper of 'sh..it's okay.'. I was quite impressed at the self control this boy must have. His voice shook with fury yet,here he sat,waiting for Pearl to calm down rather than chase down the brutes who'd done this to her. I admired the two of them for a moment when they came into view,Pearl curled up against his chest,his arms holding her close,her face burried into his shoulder and his head over the back of hers.
When I saw the damage the young cowards had done,I,personally,wanted to give them a good beating.From my position,I could see the top of her dress badly torn and stained with still-wet blood. Her nose was dripping slowly,adding to the stain,though they were nothing compared to the wounds on her forehead and hand,which were still nearly gushing. The angle of her left arm told me Pearl had more than "a scratch or two",as that "teacher" had told me. The bone was broken cleanly all the way through,just near her elbow.
Almost as if she sensed me,her bloody face met mine,Charles still held her as she whispered,"Papa...why are the animals all in cages?" I blinked at her question,suprised she wasn't worried about her injuries. "To keep them safe,my little princess,why?"I asked in the same whispery tone Charles had been speaking to her in. "Be...because,I want to go to my cage right now Papa..I want to be safe too..."She answered me as a tear ran down her cheek.
I could almost hear my heart shatter...
At my suggestion,Melinda and I were taking Pearl to a nearby zoo for her birthday. Those ripe red scars from the disease hadn't faded a single shade,damn them. We went on a late Monday morning,thining noone would be there. Pearl had such a love of animals,I thought perhaps she may someday follow in my medical footsteps and work with a vetrinarian. The job may have slightly less pay,but it was still sufficent enough.
I couldn't have been more wrong about the crowds.
More than twenty children's groups were visiting,one group around my daughter's age. I could feel myself start to worry at the sight. Certainly Pearl would want to know who these children were..she would want to play..
My mind wandered to Madeleine's boy,not for the first time in reference to Pearl. What a hypocrite I would be if I shut her away,after trying to place Erik in an enviroment with his kind. After all,these youngsters were her kind,weren't they? Melinda started to hide the girl,but I only shook my head. I would NOT raise a female Erik. I refused to....and what a fool I was!
As Melinda stepped away from Pearl once more,heads began to turn our way and a whisper broke out...but ever so slowly,frowns and gasps turned to smiles and laughter. Pearl blinked and looked towards me in a terribly confused manner,"Papa..why do they stare so..?" She asked in a very unhappy tone that brought a tear to my eye. Though...oddly,I wasn't the one to answer her question.
A young boy,maybe 6, with untidy brown hair and bright blue eyes walked toward us,his gaze almost locked on Pearl. "Because Mademoiselle," he said in a sugary sweet tone."We never see such beauty,even in art class. What's your name?" Pearl twisted the front of her dress as she looked at me,almost as if asking for permission to give her name. It had never occured to me that she may be shy,but my heart leapt at this very young gentleman making her aquantice on his own.
After all,everyone needs a childhood friend.
I nodded and she answered his patient silence,"Pearl...Pearl Barye." The boy grinned and shook her hand,which got a slight frown from his teacher,"I'm Charles Lipote. It's nice to meet you,Pearl." He seemed to think for a moment,then spoke again,"Hey..um..do you want to go see the seals? They're giving another show in 10 minutes and my group is going. If it's okay with your father you could come too!"I was nodding when Pearl looked at me,though if I had seen the three boys toward the back of the group popping their knuckles,I'm quite sure I would have reconsidered.
Pearl went off quite happily with Charles,both of them laughing,no doubt,over one of Pearl's jokes. She did have quite a few good ones after all.
Melinda and I traveled to the reptile exhibits,my personal favorite of any zoo. We would simply meet Pearl outside when Charles' group came out for lunch.
I thought nothing of the soft touches I received from Melinda. That is,until she dropped to her knees in front of my wheelchair,just outside the boa constrictor's enclosure,sobbbing,"Oh Etienne,I cannot keep my secret any longer! I have loved you long before you met Madeleine and brought Pearl home. I love you from the depths of my silly envious soul. Please...forgive me..." I stared at her in silence for long moments,wondering why in God's name she would love a cripple. "Melinda,dear,get up," I whispered to her. "You'll ruin that beautiful dress." She looked up,directly into my eyes,studying me. Whether it was for flattery or flaw,I doubt I shall ever know.
As she stood I examined her figure,as if I could help myself,and couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't already caught the eye of another man. I was no longer staring at a sexless friend,but at a lovely woman who was already quite close to my heart,a woman who had waited all this time,nearly 6 years,to tell me she loved me. Madeleine had gotten a letter years ago,telling her our daughter was alive and well,but she had never replied. She had moved on,now it was my turn. Perhaps before I knew what I was saying,I spoke a simple sentence that I shall never regret. "I love you too,Melinda. Why didn't you tell me sooner..?" She stood,staring at me,as if I had asked for her hand in marriage. "I was afraid of what you would say Etienne. You wouldn't have Pearl,had I said anything.." When she finished,I realized she was right. Had Madeleine never entered my life...PEARL!
Oh,it had to be at least an hour past lunch! We rushed to the front gates,just to see Charles' group gathering their things to leave. The teacher approached us with a solemn look on her young face,"Monseiur,Madame,there has been an...incident." The look on my face must have fightened her,for her own was white in a second's time. "Monseiur,Pearl only has a scratch or two. Some of my boys thought it would be humorous to...ah...give the child a few more scars. Charles fought them off himself,I..I should think you would want to reward him for that. I assure you,the boys who...did this,will be severely punished." She paused here to glance towards a tree,"They are over there. It was not Pearl's fault,she is really a delightful child."
Melinda and I were already moving towards the huge trunk of the old tree,soft sobs were audible. I recognized Pearl's weak,tiny crying voice repeating 'why..?why..??' over and over again,almost in time with Charles' calm whisper of 'sh..it's okay.'. I was quite impressed at the self control this boy must have. His voice shook with fury yet,here he sat,waiting for Pearl to calm down rather than chase down the brutes who'd done this to her. I admired the two of them for a moment when they came into view,Pearl curled up against his chest,his arms holding her close,her face burried into his shoulder and his head over the back of hers.
When I saw the damage the young cowards had done,I,personally,wanted to give them a good beating.From my position,I could see the top of her dress badly torn and stained with still-wet blood. Her nose was dripping slowly,adding to the stain,though they were nothing compared to the wounds on her forehead and hand,which were still nearly gushing. The angle of her left arm told me Pearl had more than "a scratch or two",as that "teacher" had told me. The bone was broken cleanly all the way through,just near her elbow.
Almost as if she sensed me,her bloody face met mine,Charles still held her as she whispered,"Papa...why are the animals all in cages?" I blinked at her question,suprised she wasn't worried about her injuries. "To keep them safe,my little princess,why?"I asked in the same whispery tone Charles had been speaking to her in. "Be...because,I want to go to my cage right now Papa..I want to be safe too..."She answered me as a tear ran down her cheek.
I could almost hear my heart shatter...