Chapter 9: Why by Avril Lavigne
"You didn't deserve this disappointment! None of us deserved it!"
- - - - -
Thenardiess groaned. "I'm so tired. I can feel my heart getting weaker by the day."
"You should stop working. You'll work yourself to death for the very little you earn for a whole day's work. What Azelma is earning and half of what I earn would be enough for you. Here, I have a few francs left." Marius handed her the money.
"Thank you," She smiled. But the smile turned into a frown as she eyed Thenardier. "Oh there you are. Where were you this afternoon?" She demanded.
Thenardier looked at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "What? Why?"
"I was looking for you everywhere. I needed you to help me carry some things to the market." She folded her arms across her chest.
"You know that my back isn't as strong as it used to be," He complained.
Thenardiess glared at him. "And you think my back is as strong as it used to be? Because you didn't show up, I had to carry the baskets all the way to the market."
"At that moment, he was at the tavern beside the university." Marius muttered under his breath.
Thenardier glared at him. "He's lying. Don't believe him."
"I saw you. Whenever I see you at any tavern, I always tell her."
"What were you doing there?" She glared at him.
"What else could he be doing in a bar except drinking?" Marius laughed.
"Yes! I was there, but I didn't touch a drop of liquor." Thenardier admitted.
Marius stood up and looked at him. "Who in the world would believe you were inside a bar and didn't touch a drop of liquor? Unless it wasn't just a drop but the whole big bottle."
Thenardier faced him. "But I did not! Honest! How could I? I didn't have any money."
"So what were you doing there?" He demanded an answer.
"I was talking to the manager of the tavern." He looked at the floor.
"Why? Want to buy his business from him?" He asked.
"I was trying to see if he could take Eponine into work for him." He said proudly.
Marius stared at him as if he had 100 heads. "Eponine? To work in that bar? Have you gone crazy?"
"Have I gone crazy? If she works there, she'd be earning fifty francs a month. Tell me what's so crazy about that," Thenardier said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Do you know what goes on in there?" she asked.
"Yes, I've been there twice." He said quietly.
"What did you do there?" She demanded menacingly.
He looked at his wife guiltily. "I drank and... of course I... flirted with the girls too."
"And that's all you did? Drink and flirt a little?" Marius scowled.
He clutched Marius' shoulders. "Why Marius? Is there anything else you can do there? What do you know? Tell me."
"I know plenty of what you can do and what happens in there. All I can say is that it is no place for Eponine." Marius shook him off.
Thenardiess clung to his arm. "Why, Marius? Is that a bad place?"
"Yes, as bad as any place can ever be. I'm hungry. I'll be back soon." He left the couple to talk.
"See what you're trying to do? Trying to bring our own daughter into a house of sin?" Thenardiess said angrily.
"I didn't know. Don't worry. I'll try some other place say a café or boutique." He replied.
"Café? Boutique?" Thenardiess looked at him with a questioning look.
"Yes. Any place where Eponine might work." Thenardier replied.
"André! Why don't you stop looking for a job for her? You do nothing all day but hang around and get drunk! Why don't you get a job for yourself?" She asked and turned her back against him.
"You know very well that I'm too old enough and weak." He said flatly.
Thenardiess looked at him. "You only think you are. You're only forty, still strong and healthy. I'm even one year older and I'm still working. It started when I married you and have never stopped since then."
"Look, I spent thirty years of my life working... kind of. I'm entitled to a little rest at the end of my days. You don't want me to enter heaven like a panting dog, do you?" He asked.
"All right. If you don't want to work, you don't have to. But stop pushing Eponine to work." She glared.
"But what's wrong with that? Sooner or later, everyone has to work for a living. It's about time she did." He stated For once, he said something correct.
"But Eponine is only sixteen. She's still a baby." Thenardiess said convincingly.
"She's seventeen going on eighteen."
"Sixteen, seventeen or eighteen. It doesn't matter. She is still a baby."
Thenardier mocked her. "She's still a baby, she's still a baby... I'm telling you, she's old enough to have a baby!"
Thenardiess was now mad. "How dare you talk of our own daughter as if she were Fantine?" She yelled. She folded her arms across her chest and turned her back against him.
Thenardier approached his wife and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Alright. I only wanted to say is that she's old enough to be earning a living. We're getting old and it's about time our children started taking over."
"Yes, but Eponine is so young."
"There are many girls who are working as young as Eponine, even younger. Just look at her younger sister, Azelma. She started when she was only twelve."
"She did, and it was all your fault." Thenardiess was about to burst into tears.
"Excuse me?" Thenardier asked curiously.
"You pushed her into dancing in the cabaret when Eponine and I were sick and no one could stop you. And she was only a baby then."
"She had to dance to earn money for your medicines. Remember, it was her dancing that saved your lives."
"You could have worked instead, but you were so lazy and useless, you'd rather let your own daughter dance the whole night."
"But what's wrong with dancing?"
"You always find nothing wrong with anything. Don't you ever worry that she's alone in the night with drunkards, alley boys, strangers? Oh I know why you don't worry. I forgot that you're one of them."
"Isn't it that Gavroche is always with her?"
"Yes, but what can a little boy like Gavroche do?"
"But what can happen to her? She's big enough to take care of herself. She's danced for 3 years now and no harm has come to her."
"If no harm has come to her, it's because I keep praying to God--oh that reminds me I have to go to church for a short while."
"Again? You were there this morning."
"I won't be long."
"You're always going to church. Morning, afternoon, evening."
"If I never went to church, I couldn't imagine what could have happened to us."
"All I know is that if the time you waste at church was spent at the market, you'd be bringing home more money."
"André! Stop saying those blasphemous words." She yelled and looked briefly at the sky. "Oh God, Please forgive my lazy, sinful and blaspheming husband." She turned to look at him. "Please put these things inside. I'll be right back."
"Look at that woman. She runs off to church and leaves me this work to do." He eyed Gavroche. "Gavroche!"
Gavroche grunted.
"Gavroche, clean up this mess before your mother gets home." Thenardier ordered.
Gavroche looked up at him. "But-" He complained.
"What's a young brat like you doing there sitting all day long? Rest is only for old and tired people like me." Thenardier said.
"But I heard mother say you bring them in." Gavroche answered back.
"Bring them in. If you won't, I'll give you a lashing you'll never forget. Remember, your mother is not here to stop me." Thenardier pulled out his belt and hit the bench Gavroche was sitting on. Gavroche was reluctant to leave the bench but the sound of the belt hitting the bench made him jump in fright.
"I'll tell her you made me do your work again." So he stood up, picked up the basket and brought it inside.
- - - - -
A/N: How's the revised version so far? Send in your comments... I'll post the last 3 chapters on May 23. Rachael is working on part 2, which is "Sa Iyo". Better watch out for that. It5 may take some time because it's quite long. Promise!
To Shinoa Yuuki [If you're reading this] – I know what you're going to say. I borrowed some dialogues from our play in the drama fest. Have a little originality sa review mo! ...
"You didn't deserve this disappointment! None of us deserved it!"
- - - - -
Thenardiess groaned. "I'm so tired. I can feel my heart getting weaker by the day."
"You should stop working. You'll work yourself to death for the very little you earn for a whole day's work. What Azelma is earning and half of what I earn would be enough for you. Here, I have a few francs left." Marius handed her the money.
"Thank you," She smiled. But the smile turned into a frown as she eyed Thenardier. "Oh there you are. Where were you this afternoon?" She demanded.
Thenardier looked at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "What? Why?"
"I was looking for you everywhere. I needed you to help me carry some things to the market." She folded her arms across her chest.
"You know that my back isn't as strong as it used to be," He complained.
Thenardiess glared at him. "And you think my back is as strong as it used to be? Because you didn't show up, I had to carry the baskets all the way to the market."
"At that moment, he was at the tavern beside the university." Marius muttered under his breath.
Thenardier glared at him. "He's lying. Don't believe him."
"I saw you. Whenever I see you at any tavern, I always tell her."
"What were you doing there?" She glared at him.
"What else could he be doing in a bar except drinking?" Marius laughed.
"Yes! I was there, but I didn't touch a drop of liquor." Thenardier admitted.
Marius stood up and looked at him. "Who in the world would believe you were inside a bar and didn't touch a drop of liquor? Unless it wasn't just a drop but the whole big bottle."
Thenardier faced him. "But I did not! Honest! How could I? I didn't have any money."
"So what were you doing there?" He demanded an answer.
"I was talking to the manager of the tavern." He looked at the floor.
"Why? Want to buy his business from him?" He asked.
"I was trying to see if he could take Eponine into work for him." He said proudly.
Marius stared at him as if he had 100 heads. "Eponine? To work in that bar? Have you gone crazy?"
"Have I gone crazy? If she works there, she'd be earning fifty francs a month. Tell me what's so crazy about that," Thenardier said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Do you know what goes on in there?" she asked.
"Yes, I've been there twice." He said quietly.
"What did you do there?" She demanded menacingly.
He looked at his wife guiltily. "I drank and... of course I... flirted with the girls too."
"And that's all you did? Drink and flirt a little?" Marius scowled.
He clutched Marius' shoulders. "Why Marius? Is there anything else you can do there? What do you know? Tell me."
"I know plenty of what you can do and what happens in there. All I can say is that it is no place for Eponine." Marius shook him off.
Thenardiess clung to his arm. "Why, Marius? Is that a bad place?"
"Yes, as bad as any place can ever be. I'm hungry. I'll be back soon." He left the couple to talk.
"See what you're trying to do? Trying to bring our own daughter into a house of sin?" Thenardiess said angrily.
"I didn't know. Don't worry. I'll try some other place say a café or boutique." He replied.
"Café? Boutique?" Thenardiess looked at him with a questioning look.
"Yes. Any place where Eponine might work." Thenardier replied.
"André! Why don't you stop looking for a job for her? You do nothing all day but hang around and get drunk! Why don't you get a job for yourself?" She asked and turned her back against him.
"You know very well that I'm too old enough and weak." He said flatly.
Thenardiess looked at him. "You only think you are. You're only forty, still strong and healthy. I'm even one year older and I'm still working. It started when I married you and have never stopped since then."
"Look, I spent thirty years of my life working... kind of. I'm entitled to a little rest at the end of my days. You don't want me to enter heaven like a panting dog, do you?" He asked.
"All right. If you don't want to work, you don't have to. But stop pushing Eponine to work." She glared.
"But what's wrong with that? Sooner or later, everyone has to work for a living. It's about time she did." He stated For once, he said something correct.
"But Eponine is only sixteen. She's still a baby." Thenardiess said convincingly.
"She's seventeen going on eighteen."
"Sixteen, seventeen or eighteen. It doesn't matter. She is still a baby."
Thenardier mocked her. "She's still a baby, she's still a baby... I'm telling you, she's old enough to have a baby!"
Thenardiess was now mad. "How dare you talk of our own daughter as if she were Fantine?" She yelled. She folded her arms across her chest and turned her back against him.
Thenardier approached his wife and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Alright. I only wanted to say is that she's old enough to be earning a living. We're getting old and it's about time our children started taking over."
"Yes, but Eponine is so young."
"There are many girls who are working as young as Eponine, even younger. Just look at her younger sister, Azelma. She started when she was only twelve."
"She did, and it was all your fault." Thenardiess was about to burst into tears.
"Excuse me?" Thenardier asked curiously.
"You pushed her into dancing in the cabaret when Eponine and I were sick and no one could stop you. And she was only a baby then."
"She had to dance to earn money for your medicines. Remember, it was her dancing that saved your lives."
"You could have worked instead, but you were so lazy and useless, you'd rather let your own daughter dance the whole night."
"But what's wrong with dancing?"
"You always find nothing wrong with anything. Don't you ever worry that she's alone in the night with drunkards, alley boys, strangers? Oh I know why you don't worry. I forgot that you're one of them."
"Isn't it that Gavroche is always with her?"
"Yes, but what can a little boy like Gavroche do?"
"But what can happen to her? She's big enough to take care of herself. She's danced for 3 years now and no harm has come to her."
"If no harm has come to her, it's because I keep praying to God--oh that reminds me I have to go to church for a short while."
"Again? You were there this morning."
"I won't be long."
"You're always going to church. Morning, afternoon, evening."
"If I never went to church, I couldn't imagine what could have happened to us."
"All I know is that if the time you waste at church was spent at the market, you'd be bringing home more money."
"André! Stop saying those blasphemous words." She yelled and looked briefly at the sky. "Oh God, Please forgive my lazy, sinful and blaspheming husband." She turned to look at him. "Please put these things inside. I'll be right back."
"Look at that woman. She runs off to church and leaves me this work to do." He eyed Gavroche. "Gavroche!"
Gavroche grunted.
"Gavroche, clean up this mess before your mother gets home." Thenardier ordered.
Gavroche looked up at him. "But-" He complained.
"What's a young brat like you doing there sitting all day long? Rest is only for old and tired people like me." Thenardier said.
"But I heard mother say you bring them in." Gavroche answered back.
"Bring them in. If you won't, I'll give you a lashing you'll never forget. Remember, your mother is not here to stop me." Thenardier pulled out his belt and hit the bench Gavroche was sitting on. Gavroche was reluctant to leave the bench but the sound of the belt hitting the bench made him jump in fright.
"I'll tell her you made me do your work again." So he stood up, picked up the basket and brought it inside.
- - - - -
A/N: How's the revised version so far? Send in your comments... I'll post the last 3 chapters on May 23. Rachael is working on part 2, which is "Sa Iyo". Better watch out for that. It5 may take some time because it's quite long. Promise!
To Shinoa Yuuki [If you're reading this] – I know what you're going to say. I borrowed some dialogues from our play in the drama fest. Have a little originality sa review mo! ...
