Chapter ThirtyTwo
DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple
Erik had promised he would help Carlotta with her scales; after shouting at her for having such a mind-drilling voice. Meg was at practice; and Karen had decided to go out for the day.
"Once more!" Erik shouted at Carlotta. But she just repeated; and her voice did not change. "Forget all that your past teachers have taught you. They know nothing." She started arguing with him.
"I will not!" She shouted back at him. "It was not your teaching that brought me to where I am today!"
"Your right." Erik told her smugly. "It was the fact that you were the only soprano! If you had more competition back before you became this; trust me; You would be in the back, dancing like the little chorus girl you are!" Carlotta fumed; storming off the set; and everyone but Erik and the ballet girls begging her to come back. Erik stood with his arms crossed as the managers came and asked why Carlotta stormed off. "She's being a little diva. She'll be back." He went to monitoring the Ballet girls while Firmin and Andre' went after La Carlotta.
Karen stood inside the meadow of Forget-me-not flowers; remembering how she and Erik had come.
"Excuse me miss." She turned and saw an older man; brown hair and a small beard. He wore a suit; and had green eyes. "But do you know Karen Edalene."
"Yes. She is me. It's not Edalene anymore; I got married four months ago."
"Karen!" He ran to her and hugged her. "You don't remember me do you?"
"Do I want to?"
"It's me." He told her. "Your daddy." She froze. "How is your mother?"
"Dead." Karen replied bluntly.
"oh, um, your sister?"
"Dead." She replied again in the same way. He searched for something better to say.
"Raphael?"
"Dead." Was her only answer. "But my husband is at the opera populiare."
"Would you mind if I met him?"
"I don't see why it would matter." Karen replied harshly.
"Shouldn't I know the man my daughter married?"
Erik saw as they brought La Carlotta back; and smirked. He knew she'd come back to finish their lessons. After two more hours of lessons; Karen came back with the man walking behind her.
"Karen." He turned and smiled. "You bringing home men again?" Karen glanced back at her father; and then back at Erik; whom saw in her eyes that it was not a joking time.
"This is my husband Erik." She looked from the man and back at Erik. "Erik; this is my father." The entire opera house went silent.
"Oh." Erik replied silently. "Pleased to meet you Monsieur."
"Likewise." Her father replied. "So, your my daughter's husband." Erik nodded.
"Karen has told me a lot about you." Erik replied; not telling him that everything she had said was not good.
Her father had been taken to her home; where she learned that his baby girl was having a baby.
"Why did you leave mom?" Karen suddenly asked during dinner. "She was a good woman, She loved Iris and I."
"Karen-" Erik tried to stop it. But he knew his wife was stubborn as a horse and wouldn't let it drop.
"Why would you ask me something like that?" Her father asked, as if he was the victim.
"Because I want to know." Her father remained silent as Erik tried to calm Karen down. He was able to sit her down and make the conversation on why he left her mother drop. But Karen couldn't stop being angry about it. She couldn't sleep; so she got up and started practicing her fingering on the organ. She wasn't any good but it let her think. She felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned quickly to see Erik smiling.
"Can't sleep?" He asked; taking a seat beside her and hitting a few keys. She shook her head. "You should though."
"I know. But I can't." She replied; listening to him play.
"Still angry? Karen, that was over thirteen years ago."
"but still." She told him stubbornly. "I wanted to know why he would keep running around like he did. Leaving me sitting up all night; asking mom where he was."
"The same reason why you thought I was with Christine." He replied. "You thought I wasn't happy with you. He wasn't happy with your mother."
"Maybe..But I just misunderstood; he came home every morning wearing the same clothes he left in. When I asked him where he was; he told me to run off to school; and when I'd get back he wasn't home. Mother was always cooking when I came and left." Erik took a hand off the organ and rubbed her shoulders. "It isn't something I can forgive him for."
"I understand that." He told her calmly. "But I don't know if you should take a lot of stress right now; with the baby and all. Maybe you should let it go."
"I suppose." She sighed irritatedly. "Did you have fun coaching Carlotta?" Erik shook his head.
"No. It was almost as fun as getting a tooth pulled." Karen laughed and leaned on him.
"What would I do without you?"
"You wouldn't be having a baby. Not unless It was with Raphael." Karen pretended to gag; and smile at him. "I'm not really looking forward to having to coach her tomorrow. Of course; If I hadn't said her voice was a mind-drill, I wouldn't have to teach her."
"Erik." They looked up and saw her father looking at them. "Do you mind if I talk to her alone?"
"OK." He went into the bedroom and eavesdropped while Karen turned back to the organ.
"What do you want?" she asked harshly. Her father sighed and sat beside her on the bench.
"Look; Erik was right; I wasn't happy with your mom. She just wasn't what I was looking for in a woman."
"Than why did you marry her?" Karen snapped. Keeping herself calm for the baby's sake.
"Because she was pregnant with you." He replied; trying not to yell but it was hard. "I married her because she couldn't take care of you alone."
"Then why stick around long enough for me to have a sister?"
"Because." He snapped. "Before I could leave; she told me she was pregnant again. I couldn't exactly leave her flat could I?"
"Why sleep around then? Why didn't you try to be with her? or, why didn't you leave?"
"I don't know OK." He barked. "I saw you and Iris; and I couldn't leave because I loved you kids."
"So you slept around." she hissed. "That first year that you were gone; mom was always depressed. She had to send us with grandpa and grandma until she got out of it; and made money to support us." She just shook her head. "Forget it. Like Erik said; it was over thirteen years ago; and I should just let it go." He didn't even say anything. He stood up and left. She watched him leave; and then walked into the bedroom where Erik was eavesdropping. He watched her as she sat at the vanity he'd bought her sometime in the past year; and start to brush her hair. She brushed it so hard that you'd think she was trying to pull it out. He walked over to her; took the brush from her hand and set it on the table. He wrapped his arms around her; and she started crying.
aww. A bitter sweet ending. I added the Erik/Carlotta thing for two reasons:
1.It waisted space
2.It was funny.
Erik: (Shudders) I am never going to teach that woman how to sing.
Me: Don't blame you.
Erik: Gonna watch the movie tonight or tomarrow?
Me: Probably tomarrow. It's 11:32 now.
Erik: How many ideas for this fic do you still have?
Me: Enough. When I run out I'll think of more.
Erik: Your thinking of another one too aren't you?
Me:Yep. I actually got the idea from this one. The cat is laying on my arm and it REALLY hurts.
Erik: I hear that.
Me:Aww but I love my baby! (Snugglz kitty)
Erik: (Sad) What about me?
Me: I love you too baby-cakes.
