DISCLAIMER: We do not own any of the characters, settings, etc. affiliated with the phantom of the opera. The only thing we own is the story line.
Hidden Passion…
The untold story of Madame Giry
By: The Phanatics
It was a cold October night in 1919. Madam Olette Giry, the former ballet teacher of the Paris Opera house was in her death bed at age eighty four. She looked out at the sun set and tried to not think of the shadows of so many years ago. The last time she left her home was a week ago at a public auction in the Opera House. It was the last time she saw the widower of the late Christine Daae. He was the Vicomte de Chaney. But then the memories that she thought were gone ached her heart once more.
Every time she thought of the years of her youth she couldn't forget the face that was in the shadows. The face that haunted her dreams, haunted her heart. The boy turned man that loved the opera house, loved opera. But to Olette' s dismay, never could love her. The face for which she had burning passion, but always was forced to keep it hidden. In the days of the Opera house, he was a phantom. In her mind, he was a genius.
"Mother?" said a soft and loving voice. It was her daughter, Meg, who was on of her former students, her grandchildren, twins Jordan and Alexandra, and their younger sister Erica. Her great-niece Jessica, who was fifteen, was also there.. They had come to visit her on her behalf. "My dear Aunt Olette, why do you have such a troubled heart?"
"Because of what happened so long ago."
"I would be scarred also if I had seen that abhorrent face."
"My dear, niece, it is more than the face…"
Jessica, knowing what was to happen next, kindly asked Meg to leave the room while they said their good-byes to their dying relative. "Jordan…" said the weak Olette, "it is with grief I must tell you, your sisters, and your cousin the truth…"
"Truth? What are you talking about Grandmother?"
"The truth of… Erik…"
"Erik? Who is Erik?"
"A man of man talents, a man of genius, a man of horror to the world…"
At that moment, Alexandra interrupted and said, " Who is this man?"
"He is a genius…a composer, architect and designer… he was more powerful than the Lord."
"Grandmother, you speak blasphemy!"
"I spoke in many languages, but never in blasphemy…might I as well tell the truth before I go…the fever is slowly taking my life and leaves me with only about twelve hours to tell the truth."
"The truth about what?"
"The Phantom of the Opera."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me take you back a few, well, a lot of years ago."
"When I was a little girl all those years ago, when I was fourteen years old, I visited a circus and that was whereall the mayham started...At thecircus, I saw a little boy getting hit by the owner in his little cage where the man was murdered. When, then I looked into his eyes and he looked back into my eyes and then I knew that he was the one for me I wanted to help him so much so Icommited a felonyand told them that the little boy was hiding in the back room when I was asked about him. Then I looked at his other side of his face and it was all bruised and his jaw was dislocated from his mouth."
"That's awful!" Jessica exclaimed.
Madame Giry nodded solemnly. A gentle tear ran down her weather cheek as she remembered the gruesome sight. "But as you've read in the papers, it was more than the dislocated jaw…he was a freak that escaped from the circus after he was being beaten by the show man…that year, they had a reward of Fr 300,000 for whom ever found the…murderous boy."
"What did you do?" asked Erica.
"I did the only thing I could do…I never thought he should be turned in…you know how being a freak in the circus was back then as it is now… so I hid him behind a cart. During lunch I thought of a place to hide him until he was ready to leave…"
"The Opera house, right?"
"Indeed you are right, my dear…I was able to remove my self from the group and I hid him from the world…and its cruelties…he knew nothing of life, or love…just his music…and his genius." There was then a knock on the door. Meg had just walked in with a tray of tea, soup, and scones. "I am sorry to interrupt, but doctor called and said you might only have a short while to live Mother,"
"How long, my daughter…"
"About a fortnight. I really with out a doubt in my heart wish there was something I could do,"
"At least all of my affairs are sorted, and my will is written. And it is more than twelve hours…"
Meg saw in her mother's eyes that she wished to speak to her niece and grandchildren alone and talk to Meg later on during their visit. "Please go on with the story of your connection with Erik," begged Jessica after Meg left the room. Olette took a sip of tea and a taste of her soup before she continued her memoir. "Of course I taught him of Mozart and Shakespeare…he was quite a fast learner for someone so young…but he lacked a few things that I had such as clothes…food…and water. He was lost and lived in the catacombs of the Opera house…"
"But Aunt Olette, how did you get the food with out anyone seeing?" Jessica questioned.
"At dusk, I would bring him breakfast and lunch, and while everyone was preparing for bed…I would then sneak him his dinner. Getting him the water was easy…all I did was steal a barrel or two of water and he would be good to have water and a bath…as for his clothes…I was an excellent sewer…made my own clothes…as I made clothes for him until he started demanding the money for all his needs."
"But what about the Vicomte and Christine? What was their part in this?" Jordan inquired.
"Ah…I was wondering when you were going to ask me of them…I had always known Christine's father, the late Gustavo Daae, a famous Swedish violinist…he cared only of Christine and his violin…His wife had died when young Christine was turning six years of age…as a young child, she met Raoul, Vicomte de Chaney…they were like childhood sweet hearts…and they enjoyed the summer together…she was like an angel…so sweet, and kind…for that she was called 'Little Lottie'…During the winter of 1861, however, Gustavo joined his wife, and left seven year old Christine behind…and he left me in charge of her…I took her to the Opera house, which even today, I think it was a mistake…"
"Why a mistake?" asked Erica
"Because she is the one who caught the eyes of the Phantom and became her 'Angel of Music'."
"He was her Angel of Music? What's that?"
"Well, when Christine's father died, he said that he was going to send the Angel of Music down from Heaven to protect her." Madame explained. "She would pray about it at night very often. Always asking her father to bring down the Angel of Music. But, like I told you, Erik lived in the Opera house. He knew all the passageways and chambers. He could listen to anything. He listened to Christine's prayers. That's how he got Christine to communicate with him. Erik told Christine that he was the Angel of Music. And she, being innocent and unknowing, had to believe."
"That's awful! That man is crazy!" exclaimed Alexandra.
"He is not crazy. He's misunderstood. You have to understand, he saw hope in Christine, just like I did."
Olette was getting tired and had to rest, but the determination of the youth inside her continued to tell of the story of her Opera house days. "What else happened?" asked a wide eyed Jessica.
"Well, during her innocent days, Erik trained her in singing and she sounded like an angel…but as he tutored her, my heart could barely handle it. At the time I was in an arranged marriage with a wealthy man from India, who was part British and part Hindu. His name was Huchagi Lamar…During the marriage, though he looked like any rich man and I looked happy with yourlate grandfatherand Meg. But when Huchagi died from the Influenza in Italy, I moved on willingly, since I never loved him, and took my maiden name back…of course, I was jealous of Christine, but didn't dare stand in the way of Erik…as much as I wanted the best for the boy; I knew that he had to learn to not rely on me…"
"Grandmother, he sounds more like a rattle snake than a man!" cried Jordan
"Indeed, he may sound like one, but again, you have to have been there to understand what was happening to me and Meg at the time of our loss."
Of course she then fell asleep. After an hour of waiting, Olette woke up with some energy to continue. "Where was I?" she asked.
"You were telling us of your past," said Erica.
"Oh yes…then, things just started to become complicated and dangerous. You see, the Opera house was just learning of Erik's existence. But to the company, he was The Phantom of the Opera… he was feared by those who believed and those who were skeptical. Those who believed knew to say nothing that he would hear for he would get them with his Punjab Lasso and never see the light of day again…those who laughed at the story were never, never seen again."
"Why?" Jordan and Alexandra said at the same time.
"Because he would murder them and throw them into the river, or he would scare them with the lasso so much, they would flee the town, but in some cases it was the country."
"That's preposterous!" Jessica exclaimed.
"Oh… you think so...Then ask little Jammes and La Sorelli…they saw Erik so many times that, the infamous masked figure drove little Jammes out of town and forced her to marry in Spain…as for La Sorelli…well, she left France for Sacramento, California and fell in love with a nice man."
"Grandmother, but how did things get worse? I mean, how on earth did the Manager take this?" Jordan said.
"My dear, sweet Jordan, Monsieur Leafier sold the Opera House to M. Firman and M. Andre…and then he left for Australia." Olette then took a sip of her tea and had some of her soup, and then she spoke out most of the story.
"He never meant any harm…he just loved her so much…I couldn't bear it…the night La Carlotta dropped out of the production of Hannibal…I suggested that Miss Daae could sing it and she did…but that night, she was reunited with Raoul…and then she was taken to Erik's world of darkness…"
"So he just took her to the sewer?" asked Jessica.
"Yes…he did, my dear…and then the foolish girl made matters worse for the Opera house…"
"What did she do?"
"She removed his mask….!"
"Is that what irritated him?"
"It gets worse…he killed Joseph Buquet when the Phantom was stalking the Opera during the night of Il Muto…with the Punjab lasso…and he saw Raoul and Christine confess their love for each other…and yes, I was there when he swore his vengeance...he wasn't seen after that..."
"Aunt Olette, this dosen't make any sense, how could he just disapper after that?"
"Oh hush...do you want me to tell you the truth or do you want me to take this to the grave?"
Jessica was quiet after that outburst. "But was Erik ever seen again after that?" asked Alexandra who was quviering with fear of the grusome tale.
"Of course he was! I remember it like it was yesterday... we were celebrating the new year and he came back...as the Red Death...by then the Vicomte and Christine were engaged and he stole the ring out of fury and demanded that his opera be preformed...Erik never meant any harm to any one...he was a soul hiding his disfigurment behind a mask...and now, it is too late to tell him whatI had longed for in my life..."
" What did you long for?" asked Jordan.
"I longed for love...I longed for passion...I longed for Erik..."
"Did you love him, Grandmother?"
"I was in love with a man I could never have..."
She couldn't finish her sentence. Olette was coughing up a storm of mucus that had almost caused Jessica to faint. " At that point, the Vicomte had just had it with Erik...they devised a plan to kill him using Christine as bait...at that point, I didn't care what had happened to the girl at that point...but Erik had other plans...he dismantled the chandalier and muredered the leading man of his opera...at the end of the duet, Christine removed the mask...the chandalier fell killing many and Christine was abducted...that was the last time any one had seen the Vicomte, Erik, and Christine Daae...only last week did I see the Vicomte, who was now a widower..."
There was a scilence in the room. Nobody spoke for a long time after that. It was then that Jessica broke the scilence," You mean to tell me that you were willing to risk the life of a young girl because you couldn't have him?"
"I was trying to do what was best for him. I still don't know where he is or if he is alive...all I have left of him was the mask that he left behind..."
Olette then opened a small drawer and showed the four of her living relatives a jeweled box with a golden key. She unlocked the box for the first time in forty eight years and gave it to Jordan. "The story of Erik should never be forgotten...not in this time or ever...as you are the oldest, my sweet Jordan...his mask goes to you now..."
