He had not told Éponine everything , partly because he didn't want her to worry, but mainly because he was ashamed. He could still hear the kids chanting "cul-terreux", and imitating the cluck of a chicken as they encompassed him. Where had they come from? They moved in flocks, he didn't hear them come, and they had him cornered in a second, and they knew it, that's why their smiles were so wide. Gavroche had stepped back, stuttering insults that went unnoticed by the group of kids. None of them had touched him yet, they just kept calling "cul-terreux", "cul-terreux", "are you scared cul-tereux?", "did you piss yourself already cul terreux?". Gavroche had lifted his fists, but even he realized how small they looked.
Poinçon was the strongest, he was only two years older, but he looked a lot bigger, especially when he grinned like that because three small wrinkles formed over his forehead right above the nose, like a dog before attacking. He had been awfully quiet when he slowly walked closer, to the point where Gavroche's nose was gracing the boy's chest. Then, Poinçon smiled with that canine smile and asked the question.
"Are you hungry cul-terreux?" His voice was calmed, almost melodic. Gavroche remained silent, hoping they couldn't see his knees shaking.
"I said, are you hungry?" This time the older boy had him on the ground by midsentence, with his boot pressed against the blond boy's chest.
"N-no" Gavroche stuttered.
"Don't lie to me, cul-terreux, we don't like liars around here."
Gavroche felt the foot pressing harder and harder against his chest, all attempts to move only seemed to make the pressure worse.
The other boys looked at the scene excitedly, adding phrases with insults.
"Are you hungry, cul-terreux?" The boy asked moving his boot up so now he could press the blond boy's throat.
"Y-y" He was choking but all the boys could tell it was 'yes', so they laughed.
"Good because I have something for you." Poinçon suddenly raised him by the collar of his shirt, only to toss him violently against the ground again, now facing down. Gavroche, with his neck pressed down by Poinçon's monstrous hand, felt the wet dirt against his cheeks as his eyes watered.
"Eat." Poinçon commanded, as the boys laughed and cheered on "eat cul-terreux, eat"
As he walked along his sisters, Gavroche gulped, as if he could still feel the mud going down his throat. He held his breath as he looked at the pair of enormous borrowed shoes on his feet. He looked at Éponine, and she looked back with a smile.
"I had never seen those letters, you?" Azelma was asking, walking at the other side of Éponine.
"It's probably from another language, but I have no idea which" Éponine replied, trying to remember the tattoos on the arms of the men who had come earlier "And stop scratching your head."
"So what do you think it means? Maybe one of them was a name…of a girl."
"I don't know, they didn't look like the romantic type to me. They look like people we shouldn't mess with."
Éponine instinctively pushed her siblings towards herself as they made their way deeper into the web of alleys. She turned to the side, dodging the dripping clothes that hung above them, until they reached the small patio, where a set of stairs connected an old door with the ground. Luckily they had to look no further, for, on those steps, a black haired girl was sitting, holding a cat on her lap. She looked Éponine's age at this hour, but when she wore make up she seemed at least seventeen. She said her name was Marie, just Marie, plain, simple, common, so common people knew it wasn't her real name. It was a good choice, though, anyone could be a Marie, and a Marie could be anyone. She wore a green dress that matched her eyes and there was a small daisy behind her ear. Éponine smiled thinking Marie was as rare as the white flower in her hair, the only nice person she had met in those streets so far.
"Hey" Éponine greeted, but Marie didn't answer, instead she stroke the cat on her legs and then showed her extended palm to her friend.
"Do you see that?" Marie asked.
Éponine, Azelma and Gavroche all looked at the hand where there was a knot of black fur.
"Gross." Gavroche said.
"Napoleon's losing his hair" Marie explained, raising the cat to see him in the eyes "Poor old thing, he's going blind too. Go on, you poor bastard, go chase some mice or something."
Marie placed the cat on the ground and they all watched him as he walked away quickly, before getting lost in one of the alleys.
"If he's still alive tonight, I'll give him some milk, I swear on my grandmother's grave I will. So, what are you up to today?"
"Do you know where I can get a dress?" Éponine asked.
"Sure, I know a place, they're so good they seem new." Marie smiled, standing up. "I know the brother of the owner's wife, so I can get you a discount."
"No, not used dresses, new ones and shoes."
"Did you suddenly remember you're a millionaire? How are you going to pay a seamstress to make you a dress?" Marie chuckled.
"I'll get the money, somehow."
"In the meantime we can go for used shoes, so your brother doesn't have to look like a clown" She pointed at Gavroche's feet. "What happened to your shoes anyway, little man?"
"Some kids took them." Gavroche replied, frowning.
"There's a group of kids who have been bothering him lately" Éponine added.
"You know, it's actually really easy to stop them." Marie replied looking at Gavroche.
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, listen, little man, next time, when they come at you, before they can do anything, you look at their leader, they probably have one-"
"Poinçon." Gavroche growled.
"There you go. You see Poinçon and before he can do anything you charge at him and beat the crap out of him."
"Marie!" Éponine scolded her friend.
"What? It works, it's true, once you do it, they'll respect you, I swear it on my grandmother's saggy bosom."
"I'm sure there's a less violent solution." Éponine protested.
"Probably, but not as a quick."
"You're terrible, please just tell me at least you know something that works for lice."
"Yeah that's easy. We'll go for the shoes, and then we'll fix that."
Marie stood up and lead the way, Éponine thought she had a funny way to walk, as if she was touring them around her house. It was hard to believe she had not been born in the city, but by now Marie probably knew the city better than most Parisians, and she seemed to know most Parisians as well, or at least she had mastered the art of pretending she did.
"Some men came to my house this morning." Éponine said, as they kept walking.
"Suitors, young lady?" Marie smirked.
"Oh yes, so many they had to wait in line, I am to wed tomorrow."
"Oh blessed day!" Marie said clasping her hands theatrically.
" Don't be silly" Éponine smiled. "I don't know who they were. Two of them were very big, strong, kind of looked like sailors."
"Sailors make the worst husbands, lucky you're not marrying one."
"Marry, no, but one of them did seem too interested. It was awful, he said I was a 'woman alright', and kept staring at me like, well like-"
"Like a dog stares a bone?"
"Exactly"
"Definitely sailors, or former sailors. Was he at least handsome?"
"Not at all, he was disgusting, and smelled even worse. But there was another man with them, he was older, skinnier, but dressed better. He called himself frère Jacques, you know, like the song, do you know-"
Éponine didn't finish as Marie suddenly stopped walking. The girl looked back at the kids walking beside them, and made a gesture at Éponine for them to distance themselves from them.
"What did he want?" Marie whispered, there were no traces from her smile left in her tanned face.
"He was looking for my father, that's all I know. Who is he?"
"Look, this isn't the type of fellow you want to be looked by, y'understand? He's got this group of men and he robs coaches, I don't know what else he does, I just know you don't want to cross him. I heard that one of his men didn't want to do what he said once, so Jacques was all like no problem, fine, and then one night the group jumped him as they left a pub. The next time we saw him he was begging for sous near Notre Dame. He wasn't doing that bad because people feel bad for the blind and crippled. And I don't want to talk about what happened to his wife and son, I just ate."
"Merde"
"Indeed, it's better to stay away." Then Marie stretched and smiled "We'll go down the market and see if we can bargain some shoes, then will get pepper to make something for the lice, lucky you have swift fingers, they won't notice when we take it. And then, when we've taken care of your siblings, I have something for you."
"I can't stay for a long time, I have to work."
"Your father's still making you rob for him?"
"Yes" Éponine sighed "But it's temporary, you know, only until we get back on our feet."
"Sure, whatever you say. Well you can do it in the market, then we'll take care of your siblings and then the surprise."
"Can't stay out too late."
"We won't, I have to work tonight anyway, it'll just be for a while. C'mon, it'll be fun. Do you even know what that word means, 'fun'?"
"You know, I'm not even sure anymore."
Hi, I hope you're enjoying the story! Gavroche's scene, like others in this story, was inspired by one of my favorite novels called "La ciudad y los perros" by Vargas Llosa, in English I think it's called "The Time of The Hero" (though it should really be something like The City and The Dogs, but what do I know), I highly recommend it!
Anyhow, I want to thank ErikadeCarpentier for the support!
Any type of comment, positive, negative, whatever, is very welcomed!
Greetings from Colombia