ENDING - Bastille
- You have cannons. Why is nobody shooting? - Oscar asks one of the revolutionaries who seems to be in command - If this goes on, you'll all die here!
- Er.. - the man began to stutter – We have cannons, but nobody knows.. how to use them..
Oscar looks at Alain meaningfully, and the latter nods.
- We will take care of the cannons - Oscar says, signaling to Alain to prepare the ammunition - And you create barricades so that the bullets do not hit you so easily.
- Fine, ma'am - the man nods and dissapears in the crowd
Oscar runs her hands over the jacket, smoothing her navy blue uniform. She buttoned the last button that had been undone while she was lying there on a cold Paris street. She looks at the blood stains on the blue of her uniform, and feels the familiar twinge of pain in her heart. Don't worry, Andre, I'll be with you soon, she thinks.
- We're starting on my mark! One, two, three! Fire!
Oscar feels dozens of bullets tearing her body apart. The pain is indescribable. The smell of blood mixes with the smell of gunpowder. And she no longer has any strength.
- Oscar! Oscar !
- Don't shout like that, Alain, I can hear you ..
- It's so quiet. Why can't we hear the shots? Go on, Alain, what are you waiting for!? Shoot, for God's sake!
Oscar passes out.
July 16, 1789
- Bastien, haven't you seen my wife somewhere?! - Andre shouted to the boy who was chopping firewood behind the house - I can't find her anywhere!
- Andre! - the boy stared at him with surprise - We didn't expect you earlier than tomorrow! Madame Grandier has gone with the children to the orchard and they are not back yet - he replied quickly, seeing the man's urgent gaze.
- Thank you very much! - Andre replied and ran to the back of the house
Oscar stood with her hands on her hips and looked up high at the treetops. Her dress was partially rolled up revealing horse riding pants tucked under the fabric. Oscar, despite the passage of time, has not completely got used to wearing women's clothes. She compromised by wearing a skirt with a shirt and vest instead of a dress. But for convenience, she often hide pants under her skirt. She was an exceptional woman, also in terms of clothes.
- Get down now, Reynier! - she shouted to the boy who climbed higher and higher, ignoring the screams of his mother
- I'm not coming down! - yelled the resolute six-year-old - Muum, I'm already up! - he boasted, straddling the highest branch
- Divine punishment with this rascal - Oscar cursed under her breath - Just tell me when you want to go down! - she shouted once more to her son, who flailed his feet happily – Do you also want to follow in your brother's footsteps? - she smiled at the glowing two-year-old boy, who was, still awkwardly but with great enthusiasm, climbing up the lowest branch. After a while, he slid off and fell, landing on the grass carpet. He didn't worry too much about it, but took a nearby branch and started pummeling the tree trunk.
- They'll both get into you - laughed Andre, standing next to her
- Andre! - she shouted, putting her hand on her chest - You scared me! - instead of indignation, she smiled at her husband and embraced his waist, hugging his shoulder - How did you get here so quickly? I thought this Havre deal would take you at least another day.
- I came back earlier - he replied seriously now -I need to tell you something urgently, but we'd better sit down.
- Did something happen? - she looked into his eyes carefully - Something wrong with breeding?
- No, it's not about the breeding - he said reassuringly - Please sit down - he pointed to the stone bench - I have news from Paris.
- From Paris? - she was surprised - From the father?
- No - Andre started to get nervous - Oscar, let me tell you!
She nodded and took the place he indicated.
- The news came when I was in Havre. I was walking by the post office quite by accident and I met Gabriel there, who was going to see us. Look.. Rosalie sent us this along with the letter. This is the newspaper her husband publishes - he reached down into his jacket, pulled out a folded newspaper and handed it to his wife - The revolution has broken out, Oscar - Andre said seriously.
She looked at him with wide eyes.
- My dream.. The one I had last week.. - she whispered, and he nodded
She took the newspaper from his hands and began to read it eagerly.
- Bastille.. - she said after a moment almost silently - The Bastille fell, Andre. And she..? What about her?
- The attack was not in command of a woman - Andre said matter-of-factly. He took the newspaper out of her hands, opened it to the next page and pointed with his finger - Here is everything written by Bernard in great detail. The revolutionaries were led by rebellious soldiers from the City Guard.
- City Guard? - Oscar looked at him and opened her eyes even wider - Navy uniforms..
- Yes - he nodded and placed a hand on hers in a reassuring gesture
- God.. - she whispered painfully - What does it all mean? So that my dream.. It's reality after all, Andre.. How is that possible?.. But then what about the commander? - she remembered suddenly
- The revolutionaries were commanded by Alain from B company - Andre pointed to a fragment of the text - He was wounded during the attack on the Bastille.
- Alain de Soissons - Oscar held her breath, freezing
- Correct.. How do you know his name, Oscar? - Andre asked, surprised, as she even didn't look at the text yet
- Alain de Soissons? - Oscar asks, staring at the document in her hands
- Here! - the tall, well-built soldier replies, staring at her with unfriendly eyes and Oscar realizes immediately that serving in the City Guard may be more difficult than she initially thought.
The paper fell from Oscar's hands and landed on the grass carpet. She herself, pale as a wall, stared blankly into the distance, barely blinking.
- Are you okay, Oscar? - Andre touched her shoulder. She jerked violently and looked at him as if she had seen a ghost.
- My dreams, Andre.. - she said seriously - All these dreams, mine and my father's.. It seems so absurd, but these dreams.. were not dreams at all! It's all true Andre, reality! What my father told us then, what I dreamed myself, lying unconscious after the accident and now. If it were not so, how would I have known about the Bastille a few days ago? How would I know Alain's name? How would father know how you died.. how that Andre died when he and.. Oscar both rebelled against the monarchy? It all fits together!
- It's so hard to believe in it all, Oscar . - Andre sighed - How to explain something like that?
- I know, I know - she stood up and paced nervously - I know I can't explain it, but I'm sure I'm not crazy.
Andre thought deeply. Then he looked at her seriously.
- It's all so difficult to understand, but.. But if.. - Andre began hesitantly - If all this is true.. Does that mean that if your father, when we were children, had made a different decision, for us to grow up together, then now.. Would we both have died a few days ago? Would the revolution kill us both?
She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears.
- I think so, Andre.. From today I am even sure of it.. - she whispered with a breaking voice
Andre got up, wrapped his arms around her, and pressed her to him. Little Pierre, sensing the change in mood, trotted down and clung to his mother's leg.
- If that's what you say - Andre smiled, pressing his cheek against hers - it looks like your father saved us both lives.
Oscar sobbed, hiding her face against his chest.
- Don't cry, baby - he said, stroking her hair - It's over now. We have each other, we have two wonderful children, all the rest doesn't count.
- Mommy! - Suddenly they heard the scream of their older son - I think you forgot about me!
- Leave your mother for a while - Andre replied, laughing - I'll help you down.
After a while, they all sat down together on a stone bench.
- Why is mom crying? - Reynier asked naively, shifting anxiously
- Mommy never crying - Pierre said flatly
- I do sometimes, dear - Oscar smiled faintly, ruffling his hair
- People cry for all sorts of reasons - explained Andre matter-of-factly - If they're sad or they are in pain. Or if they miss somethig or someone. And sometimes because they are happy.
- So why is mom crying? - the stubborn six-year-old did not give up
- I am crying because after everything that happened to your dad and me, and what could happen to us - Oscar explained enigmatically - we got the most important thing from fate.
- What exactly? - Reynier asked very interested
- Love, honey - she replied without hesitation, hugging him - Love is all we need.