Epilogue: Stay with me

The place around the Arc d'Eiffel was crowded. There were thousands of people standing around singing or humming to well known songs. Yelling to a singer and musician they all liked a lot. The people came from everywhere. Not only from France. But also from Germany, Italy, England, America, Australia. Even from Japan. To see one of their most favourite musicians. A musician they thought would give up the music forever. It was now over a year ago that she gave her last concert. That she sung a very strange, a very loud and raging song and simply said goodbye. Simply walked away and left her fans all alone.

But now she returned. With a new album. With new songs. With happy songs. About eternal love. And about the joys of being mother. Of course they all knew about the little girl she gave birth to in February. Cute pictures covered the magazines and the newspapers all around the world. And shortly after the birth she wrote her first song of her new album. The most favourite song she ever wrote. About eternal love. About a person who loves another person as much that she would never let her go.

This concert was one of her few concerts. First she wanted to wait for another year. That her daughter would be older and she would have regained more strength again after the complicate birth. But Paris was a special place for her and the magazines already assumed that there would be soon a wedding. In Paris. In Notre Dame. Probably with Tenô Haruka. The father of the cute child.

" If this world is wearing thin

And you're thinking of escape "

The fans yelled as they recognized their most favourite song. They all knew it by heart. But as the singer sang on they all silenced and simply listened to her. That song was something special for her and they all knew it somehow.

" I'll go anywhere with you

I'll do anything it takes

But if you try to go alone

Don't think I'll understand "

She stood there at the rim, the micro in her hands. Her expensive violin laid on the ground that was covered with a soft carpet. She was barefoot, as always. Warm summer wind played with her shoulder long green hairs and the dark blue dress she was wearing. Her eyes were closed and a tender smile laid on her redden face.

Most of her songs were written for a violin. But this one was written for a piano. It stood behind her on the old building of Paris. A person sat behind the black instrument and her fingers flew over the keys as if it was the easiest things she had ever done. As if she was born to play that song. Here. With her love.

" Stay with me, stay with me."

The fans yelled again as they heard the piano play. As they saw on the big screens which hang all along the Champs Elysée Tenô Haruka in her white tuxedo. The world of motor sport had been very disappointed that she gave up her career as a formula one racer. That she simply declared that winning the world's championship for more than once was enough. That other tasks waited for her. That she still wanted to help and to support young talents but that she didn't want to race by herself any longer.

" In the silence of your room

In the darkness of your schemes

You must only think of me

I'll visit all your dreams

When pride is on the floor

I'll make you beg for more

Stay with me, stay with me. "

There were some girls standing in the first row. A girl with blonde hairs had grabbed a girl with shoulder long hairs and danced around with her. The smaller girl blushed deeply but laughed, too. Two boys stood there with sunglasses and hoped that no one would recognize them. Just the third boy with silver hairs kissed his girlfriend and pointed up to the singing goddess. They whispered something and nodded agreeing. Another young man with dark hairs held a little girl with pink hairs on her shoulders. Another girl with two blonde plaids looked a little bit jealous but laughed as her boyfriend handled her a balloon she wanted so badly to have. A little girl with sparkling dark eyes waved up to the singer and laughed happily as the famous musician winked back. She sat on her uncle's shoulder and pulled this time at his hairs, not at her daddy's. A girl with a huge basket that contained sandwiches stood next to him. Holding his free hand determinedly tight.

They all looked up to the singer and enjoyed the show. Only a little girl slept deep and tight in her pram. She didn't hear the voice nor did she understand the words. But she felt that she was loved. Especially by her granny who cradled the pram and smiled tenderly up to her children.

" You'd better hope and pray

That you'll be safe

In your own world

You'd better hope and pray

That you're gonna awake

Back in your own world.

Stay with me, stay with me. "

The fans yelled even louder and big posters were hold up into the air. They showed the singer how much the people loved her. Her and her music. How much they liked to listen to her songs. And that they wanted to hear more. Much more.

The singer smiled and her sea green hairs sparkled in the bright sun light. The young woman in the white tuxedo left her piano and came over to her. She took her into her arms and the next moment the singer was holding a big bunch of white roses in her hands. Surprised she looked at the roses. Then at her lover. And smiled loving. The fans yelled even more and especially the girls in the first row used all their powers to congratulate them.

"You know I'll stay with you, Michi-chan." Whispered Haruka and simply couldn't let go of her fiancée. Although she knew that the concert wasn't over yet and that they wanted to celebrate some more songs. Michiru giggled and simply kissed her. Not caring any longer that thousands of people watched them. She loved her Ruka and the whole world should see their love.

"I know." She giggled. "And I am very happy."

End

Okay, guess there're some more disclaimers necessary.

The prayer the priest says in Notre Dame is the Latin version of "The Lord's Prayer". If you need the English or the German translation, just ask me. Or you can read it in the bible, Secundum Matthaeum, 6,9 - 6,13.

The song "Stay with me" belongs to Shakespears Sister. It had been the best song they ever wrote and since 1992 I was looking for a suitable situation and story. Guess I finally found it.

First of all, arigato for all people who really read all those pages. There're about 150 pages on my programme and I guess I freaked out a little bit. First I only wanted to write until the end of chapter four, but that would have been boring, wouldn't it? Without the Paris trip and the last shock of the operation and the little one's birth.

I simply couldn't stop writing and 150 pages are a personal record of a short story (a short story, not a book). Guess Adri-chan, you're right. Now it's not a short story any longer, but a novelette. Whatever that is, it sounds nice. And it is a shorter novel by now -.

I know that the topic is a very serious one but winter is a time when I am a little bit depressed. It's earlier dark outside, it's cold and mostly all people are really crazy around Christmas. I discovered "Temple of love" again and while listening to the lyric the story simply evolved in my mind.

I thought a lot about this topic before I started this story and it took me about three months to write it down. Not only because I had less time.

I am not a doctor and I can't name the illness I describe in my story. I never had a real dangerous illness (only once as child but that doesn't count, I was too small to see that I could have died that night) and I have no idea how I would react if I were Michiru. The story simply didn't get out of my head again and so I simply wrote it down.

Arigato again for reading all this stuff. That makes me happy.

April Eagle

18th January. – 07th July.2001