Chapter 3
A WREATH OF IVY
" -Ivy honey!
-Here I come.
-Mmm, sweet, mmm."
Oscar's throat felt dry and constricted as her ears hit the word"honey".
"So that's for real? He even calls her Ivy honey. What a…! How could he never tell me about her? When did they first meet? Why don't I know anything? How did he fall in love with her? Is that love at first sight? That's it! Only love at fisrt sight could make him separate from ME! Me ? Did I just say? Oh, it's okay, Oscar. Of course you have that feeling, you've been friends for fifteen years. You never seem to be apart from each other. Anywhere you go, he's always with you. That's why you feel jealous of Ivy? What? Hold on a sec! Oh my! JEALOUS! … I have gone mad! I hate you, ANDRÉ ! Why are you hiding from me lately? You're kind of busy with your fiancé. I, I feel helpless and … lonely. There's nobody for me to fight, to fence, to chat, to sing, to cry, to laugh, to smile, ... to love… André, I,I …"
…
-Yummy, André. This is really good.
-Come on. It's just bread and honey.
-But it's the sweetest I have ever tasted.
-Thanks Ivy! I wonder … what's wrong with Oscar lately? She's trying to avoid me. You know, there're some rumours about you and me. So…I, well…
-It's okay, André! I told you once that I could handle it, I did, I do and I will. Are you afraid that the whole she'bang will end up with coup de grâce?
-I don't know. I just don't want Oscar to misunderstand anyhting.
"André, André, André ! Here you go again! Do you think of your mademoiselle everyday? Come on, don't be a wuss! Tell her that you love her, André! I know she loves you,too. It's just she doesn't know that…"
…
-Is it brandy? Why am I not drunk?
-You're drunk, sir! Let me help you.
-Stay away from me!
-Scarlette, what are you doing? Why are you wasting your time with an unknown man.
-Shhh… Flora! Be wise! Look at him! Look at those medals and military ranks on his jacket! He must be a general or some thing like that. Most of all, he's a noble, rich one. And he's handsome. He's far better that sir Marimbeau, can't you see?
-Oh I see
-You're driving me crazy, Ivy! You'll never get away with this. Just some cheap jewellery and you think I'll let you go?
-It's diamond! Let me go, Madam Lessane. I've paid all my debt.
-No, you haven't, poor Ivy. You think you can leave here and live well. No, dear, life isn't as easy as you think, Ivy! Stay here with me and your sisters. They miss you, Ivy.
-NO!
-Let her go, I'll pay for her tonight, a firm voice interrupted the quarrel. Ivy raised her blue eyes to look at the from-nowhere-customer.
- Mademoiselle de Jarjeyes !
…
Speechless as she never knew that the life of the girl in front of her was that much complicated. Finally, Oscar found her voice back.
-Ivy, I think you'd better go away.
Ivy was sitting still on the couch, suddenly stood up. Her voice was shaking.
-I know, mademoiselle de Jarjeyes, I'll leave de Jarjeyes Mansion now.
-No, you've got me wrong. I mean you should get away from Madam Lessane, get away from Paris with your mother and … you fiancé. I'll help you.
-Mademoiselle, I … thank you. Now, I know for sure … why André love you that much.
-What've you said?
…
" -He's not my fiancé, mademoiselle. He's just a very very kind man, a passer-by helped me when I was in trouble with Madam Lessane and a friend. I'm so sorry … It's just I was jealous of your love, mademoiselle. It's the most passionate and strongest love I have ever known. I did try to mess it, to challenge it with good purposes, of course. I just couldn't believe in love between aristocrat and commoner. Now, mademoiselle de Jarjeyes, he's yours as he was never mine…
I just wanted to kill you as you said that you had wanted to "challenge" my love. Is my love your game? But your sincere eyes told me that you were telling the truth. I didn't do anyhting as I thought I saw sorrow and bitter in your eyes as if you had once experienced that aristocrat – commoner love. I'm a woman. I can see it and I can sympathize it. Now, you're gonna have a happy peaceful life. What about me? … André …"
Oscar didn't dare to think anymore.
" Since when you've become so essential to me, irreplaceable as if I won't exist without you? Just for a while, I thought that I lost you, I couldn't bear the pain. It hadn't been that hurt when I and Fersen … forever farewell … I had cried but I didn't cry, I was bleeding. My André, you told me once that André without Oscar is not André. What about Oscar without André? Tell me, André, still I am myself without you? I … miss you, André! "
…
- Thank you, André! Thank you, mademoiselle de Jarjeyes! Ivy shall never forget you all. And goodbye Madam Lessane! Goodbye Scarlette! Have a good time with that fake "la dolce vita". Ivy's free now. She's gonna have a great time with her mother. Hahaha!
-What are you murmuring, Ivy?
-Nothing, mom. Just some tosh. You should take a rest. It's gonna be a long way …
Ivy raised her face to the carriage's back window so as to have a last look at de Jarjeyes Mansion
"André, it's gonna be a coup de théâtre, I promise."
" – It's not gonna work out, Ivy.
- You can count on me, mademoiselle de Jarjeyes!"
…
" Where are you Oscar? Suzie told me that you had been out since afternoon. Now, it's late at night. Have you been home yet? I have been looking for you everywhere. Where are you, Oscar? … I'm sorry, Oscar. Lately, I'm not with you much. I'm not there when you need me. I've been busy helping Ivy. I … I miss you, Oscar!"
…
A silver ivy wreath was sparkling in the silver light of the moon, on blond hair.
On the straw-mat sat a beauty in white. She didn't move at all, even her breath was very light as if she was a statue of a goddess.
" It's damned hot here! My Gosh! I'm not making myself a fool, am I? I knew it ever since I looked at myself in the mirror. It's so riddiculous to wear shirt and pants while wearing my hair in plaits. Oh I've forgot this stupid wreath. Now, I don't even dare to make a move as I'm afraid it's gonna fall off my hair, isn't it? I've never worn such a thing before. Oh my! Where are you, André? Couldn't you go home any sooner? My legs are stiff now. André!"
…
" You're not in your room. Oscar, where are you?" André kept asking himself as he was walking toward the stable, "a horse, I need it. I'm exhausted, cannot move my own legs but I've gotta find you before it's dawn, Oscar."
…
" Wait! Is that you, André? No, no, not coming, André. I … I … Oh my!" Oscar couldn't think anymore as the one she wished not to come in was walking his way into the stable. She immediately turned her face toward the wall.
A golden light caught André's eyes. He glanced at it and couldn't move his eyes out of it.
He came a bit closer to the beauty. He raised his arm so as to touch her, but he couldn't, he didn't dare.
-You're not gonna fool me with that suit and that wig, Ivy! André scolded and snatched the blond hair and pull her shoulder back.
-Ouch! ANDRÉ !
-OSCAR! André jumped out with atonishment and released the beauty's hair immediately. What are you …
André meant to say something but he was tongue-tied. At first, he thought that it was Ivy playing some of her new games but now, now, when he figured out that she wasn't Ivy, he was … dumb.
"Am I dreaming? Those serene sapphire eyes, the golden wavy hair, the fragile figure in shirt and pants, they're very"Oscar". But the burning passionate look with a sense of confusion, the reddened cheeks, the shaking shoulders and the, the unsurpassably beautiful ivy wreath, they aren't "Oscar". They're, they're …"
They're amazing. They took his breath away. Never before had he imagined that one day he could be able to see Oscar like this, just once for ever. Just a glance could make him overjoyed whether she was doing it for him or not … At the time his wish came true, he was … dumb.
" My Oscar, in my every night dream, you're always there. In my every day life, you're always there. Your voice, your smile, your laughter, your figure, your scent, your silent breath from your tightened lips, your burning heart inside your cold outside, your everything is my everything…
Oscar, you're so beautiful, as a goddess."
-Hey! Hey, you! André! Oscar gave him a nudge so as to awake him. Are you dreaming, André? She asked with a worried voice.
-I'm .. I'm .. I'm, as if he would stammer forever, he finally found something to say, I'm wondering, if you're here so where's Ivy?
Oscar sighed with disappointment, "Oh, Ivy, she's gone."
-What! Ivy's gone. Did Madam Lessane? How could she come here and catch Ivy? Oh … I shouldn't have left her alone.
Now, Oscar couldn't bear that she burst into laughter.
-What are you saying, André? I mean that Ivy has left Paris and gone to the countryside with her mother, they're gonna have a better life there.
-Oh! That's good … He was confused as he had made himself a fool, no, he was confused as he couldn't find any reasons to avoid looking at Oscar. He knew her so well that he was afraid to look at those mischievous sapphire eyes. "What's she up to?"
-Oh! That's not good.
-Why? Why isn't it? It's good for Ivy, André!
-No, I mean, here, here's not good … Don't you come any closer to me! André shouted at the top of his voice as Oscar was coming closer and closer to him. He was sweating.
Oscar suddenly stopped and sat down on the ground.
-Come here, André!
He came and sat right next to her.
She glanced at him for a while then turned her face away. She could feel his body warmth as well as his racing heartbeat. "Is is tangoing?"And it always takes two to tango. Then hers was tangoing, too. "How can I start? I … I don't know how. Oh God, please help me!" Then God showed her how. She started to lean her head on his arm. As the first curl of her golden hair hadn't managed to reach his arm yet, he stood up.
"Well", Oscar was thinking as trying to gain her balance, "André, you really know when to stand up."At this time, Oscar was really confused. She did try very hard to, she did use all of her courage to try to tell him her confession. But things didn't happen the way she wished they had.
-Oscar.
-Yes!
-I've got something to tell you.
-Me, too , she murmured.
-Yes?
-Nothing, André. What do you want to tell me?
-I … I want to tell you that … André stopped to take a deep breath, that I've gotta go. Then he turned to the door immediately.
Oscar was so shocked that she couldn't do anything. But she couldn't let her effort end up with nothing. She wanted to tell him, she wanted him to know the truth, the hidden feeling deep down inside her heart. She stood up and spoke aloud
-I LOVE YOU, OSCAR!
Oscar couldn't believe her own ears. She was flabbergasted as André turned back and running toward her. His face was reddened as his eyes looked at her passionately. Oscar couldn't help water in her eyes forming into tears and rolling on her cheeks.
- André, what I wanted to say, no, I want to say is , Oscar looked straight at the man who was embracing her in his arms, I love you, André, so much! I cannot live without you, my André!
André embraced Oscar tighter as he was afraid that just in a minute, the whole heaven and this goddess would vanish into thin air. His body was shaking in happiness. The sweet scent came from her body comforted him.
-This is far from what I have always dreamed of. My Oscar, holding you in my arms, now, I still can believe that it's real. Long long time ago, when I realised that I love you, Oscar, I knew that it's impossible. Seeing you passing my eyes everyday, chatting with you everyday, laughing with you everyday, caring for you everyday, I keep reminding myself everyday that it's enough, I cannot go any further, it's the best way to love you. My Oscar, I love you!
Oscar was touched. She did cry as she heard every whisper from the man she loved, every heartfelt words made her heart bleeding. As she had thought that she knew very well how hurt one-sided love could be, she had never imagined that it could be that hurt as André felt everyday with her. Not that she hadn't realised his immense love, she had tried to convince herself that her feelings for him is just … friendship. Not that she hadn't realised that her feelings for him was more than friendship, it was some kind of an irreplaceable relationship, it was like at nowhere could one found her without him, she had tried to convince herself that it wasn't love she was feeling. Now, she had to admit it, to confess that she loved him, from the very beginning of her lifetime, she was meant for him, they were meant for each other. Nothing could separate them from then on as nothing had been able to…
…
"- Here's my lucky wreath. It's my father keepsake. It always brings me luck and love. I met my first and only love when I was wearing it. Now, I give to you. Hope it bring you love, mademoiselle de Jarjeyes!"
…
-I wonder what are they doing?
-Why are you keep murmuring all the way, Ivy?
_THE END_