Chapter 5: God Help The Outcasts/Touring The Bell Tower

Natalie's POV

After having that talk with Quasi, I decided to head down stairs to look around in the church. Once I got down stairs, I saw Frollo pinning Esmeralda's arm behind her back.

I said to myself, "Ah hell no!"

Then I rushed over to them as I shouted at Frollo,

"Get off of her!" And I pushed him off of Esmeralda.

Then he grabbed my arm and squeezed it hard as brought the point of a dagger to it. Then he hissed as I struggled against his tight grip,

"You little brat, you're going to regret messing with me."

I said as I got my bravery back,

"No, it's you that's gonna regret messing with me!"

Then I kneed him in the gut and he let go. Unfortunately when he bent over after I kicked him, he nicked me on the side of my hand and gave me a cut, but no blood came out.

As I rubbed my hand, Esmeralda pulled me closer to her and said to Frollo,

"You keep away from me and my friend!"

Frollo said with an evil grin, "You show no threat to me gypsy, after all gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

As Frollo started to head out the door, he said,

"That goes for you too brat, step outside of this cathedral, and you're mine." And he slammed the door shut.

Then Esmeralda ran to the doors and opened them to see the guards outside. Then she angrily slammed the doors and slumped to the ground.

I said annoyed, "Frollo finds a way around everything doesn't he?"

Esmeralda responded, "Yeah, if there's one thing he's good at, it's getting on someone's nerves." I nodded in response.

Then she looked at me closely and asked as she got up,

"Aren't you the girl from the festival that stood up for that poor boy?"

I answered as I held my hand out to shake her's,

"Yes, I'm Natalie."

She answered with a smile as she shook my hand,

"I'm Esmeralda." I smiled in response.

Then as her goat walked up to us, she said introducing it, "And this is my goat, Djali."

I said as I smiled and petted him, "Nice to meet ya, Djali." He bleated in response.

Then she said, "Thank you for defending me against Frollo."

I replied, "No problem, I just hate seeing the way he treats others, especially after the way he treated Quasimodo at the festival."

She replied, "Yeah, tell me about it."

I asked, "Why is Frollo always after you and the gypsies and why is he like this?"

She answered, "It's because he hates us for loving our freedom and he hates whatever he can't control. And to be fair, I don't really know why and I don't care to give him much thought."

I nodded in response.

Then she asked, "Do you think God knows all of the answers?"

Feeling that question, I answered,

"Well yes, if he didn't and didn't know how I would turn out, then I wouldn't be here."

Then she said as we walked up to a statue of the virgin Mary and baby Jesus, "I wonder."

Then she looked back at a man who was on his knees praying and then looked back at the statue.

Then she sang;

I don't know if you can hear me
Or if you're even there.
I don't know if you would listen
To a gypsy's prayer.
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast,
I shouldn't speak to you.
Still, I see your face and wonder
Were you once an outcast, too?

Then Esmeralda walked through some candle light as I followed her. Then she sang;

God help the outcasts,
Hungry from birth,
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth,
God help my people,
We look to you, still.
God help the outcasts,
Or nobody will.

Then we were walking alongside the pillars as other people walked in the opposite direction praying for their own needs as they sang;

I ask for wealth
I ask for fame
I wish for glory to shine on my name

Then I looked away in shame as they prayed for themselves and not for others. Then a lady along with the other parishioners sang;

I ask for love I can possess
I ask for God and his angels to bless me!

Then I watched as Esmeralda sang;

I ask for nothing
I can get by.
But I know so many
Less lucky then I.
Please help my people,
The poor and downtrod.
I thought we all were
The children of God.
God help the outcasts,
Children of God!

Then after she finished, she hugged Djali tightly after he nuzzled her.

It made me feel bad because I remembered that we're all creations of God and that he would always want us to help and love another. It also made me feel bad because ever since I was 6, I always felt like an outcast especially when I got into my teenage years as I would never usually appear in a group or I was always alone as I watched other people with their friends and I was always left in the dust. But I also thought about the people in this world and mine who are not as fortunate as me.

So I said in a prayer,

"Oh Dear Lord Christ, please help my friends and anybody that is or feels like an outcast or going through a struggle. I admit, I have my own struggles, but I could overcome them on my own if I wanted to. But some people can't, please Dear Lord, nobody deserves to feel this way or feel like they have no hope. I know I'm one of them, but this shouldn't be about me. Please help them, give them a good chance at having a good and happy life. Amen."

Then I finished my prayer and then I walked over to Esmeralda as she said,

"I wish I could talk to that poor boy and tell him I'm sorry."

Then I said, "You can if you want to."

She asked, "I can?"

I replied, "Yeah, he's up in the bell tower, I can lead you to him if you'd like."

She said, "Alright." And with that, we started to head up to the bell tower.

While we were walking, she told me about what happened between her and Phoebus. And how Phoebus had her trapped inside of the cathedral. Then once we got inside the bell tower, I called out,

"Quasimodo!"

He said as he landed in front of us from a beam, "Yes Natalie?"

When he saw Esmeralda, he tried to run away, but I grabbed his hand and said to him,

"It's alright Quasi. This is Esmeralda, she's from the festival."

Esmeralda explained herself, "I'm really sorry about this afternoon, I had no idea who you were, I would've never in my life have brought you up on the stage."

Quasi replied "I-It's alright. Really."

Then Esmeralda asked, "What is this place?"

He answered, "This is where I live."

She asked, "Did you make all of these things yourself?" motioning to the model of Paris and the stained pieces of glass.

Quasi answered, "Most of them."

She then said, "This is beautiful, Ah, if I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing in the streets for coins."

Then Quasi said, "But you're a wonderful dancer."

Esmeralda replied, "Well, it keeps bread on the table anyway."

Then she saw something small on the table that was being covered by a sheet, and she asked as she removed it,

"What's this?"

Quasi said as he rushed over to us,

"Oh no, please! I-I'm not finished, I-I still have to paint them."

When she removed it, we saw 2 wooden figurines that were unpainted.

Esmeralda said with a chuckle as she looked at them closely,

"It's the blacksmith, and the baker!"

Then Djali ate a sheep figure. I picked up one of them and said amazed at his artwork,

"Wow, these are so cool, who knew a figurine like this could have so much detail."

Quasi said to me as he blushed, "I'm glad you like them."

I said, "Are you kidding, I love them. You're really talented Quasimodo."

Esmeralda added, "And a surprising person too. Not to mention lucky, all this room to yourself?"

Quasi answered,

"Well, it's not just me, there's Natalie, the gargoyles and of course the bells. Would you like to see them?"

Esmeralda replied, "Yes of course, wouldn't we Djali?"

All Djali did was swallow the sheperd's man figurine.

Quasi looked to me and asked,

"Natalie, I never got a chance to show you around the bell tower. Would you like to see them as well?"

I replied, "Oh absolutely, I would love to go see them."

Then we climbed a ladder to go see the bells.

Quasi said excitingly, "Follow me, I'll introduce you!"

Esmeralda said, "I never knew there were so many."

I added, "Neither did I."

He said introducing us to 4 bells,

"That's little Sophia, and Jean-Marie, Ann-Marie, and Louise-Marie. Triplets you know."

Then we walked up to this huge bell and Esmeralda asked, "And who's this?"

Quasi answered, "Big Marie."

Then we went inside of the bell and me and Esmeralda shouted,

"Hello!" Causing the bell to echo.

Quasi said, "She likes you both. Would you like to see more?"

Esmeralda asked Djali,

"How 'bout it Djali?" And all he did was burp and it echoed inside the bell and I laughed a little bit.

Esmeralda then said, "We'd love too."

I responded as I finished laughing, "Yeah."

Then Quasi said with a small laugh,

"Good, I've saved the best for last." We climbed up to the roof and he showed us the sun set in Paris.

Once I saw it and the sparkling river seine, I was blown away by how beautiful it was.

I said amazed, "Oh man, this is beautiful."

Esmeralda nodded and said,

"Oh, I bet the King himself doesn't have a view like this. I could stay up here forever."

I nodded in response.

Then Quasi said, "You could, you know."

Esmeralda denied, "No, I couldn't."

Quasi replied, "Oh yes, you have sanctuary."

Esmeralda explained, "But Not freedom, gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

Then he said, "But you're not like other gypsies, they're evil."

I said with dismay, "Oh, Quasi!"

Esmeralda asked, "Who told you that?"

He replied, "My master, Frollo. He raised me."

Then Esmeralda asked, "How could such a cruel man raise someone like you?"

I added, "Yeah honestly, like what do you see in that nasty old jerk anyway?"

He then explained,

"Cruel? a nasty old jerk? Oh no, he saved my life. He took me in when no one else would. I'm a monster you know."

I said, "No you're not."

And Esmeralda asked, "He told you that?"

Then Quasi said to us, "Look at me."

Then Esmeralda said to him, "Give me your hand."

Quasi asked a little hesitant, "What?"

Esmeralda then said,

"Just let me see it." As she took his hand and started to read his palm as I looked closer.

She said as she read it, "Hm, a long life line. Oh and this one means you're shy. Hm, well that's funny."

Quasi asked, "What?"

She continued, "I don't see any."

He asked, "Any what?"

She answered, "Monster lines, not a single one."

Then as Quasi looked at his hand, Esmeralda asked,

"Now you look at me, do you think I'm evil?"

Quasi Then said taking her hand,

"No, no you are kind and good and-"

Esmeralda then justified, "And a gypsy, and maybe Frollo's wrong about the both of us." I nodded in response.

Then Esmeralda said to me, "Natalie, let me read your hand."

A little nervous, I said "Ok."

I gave her my hand and she started to read my palm. Quasi looked closer to see what it said.

She said as she read it,

"Hm, you're shy as well. Ah, a line of generation. This line shows you're a hard worker. Hm, this line means that you have a bit of sadness within you."

Then she asked, "Do you have depression?"

Quasi looked at me concerned as I said,

"People say I have it. To be honest, I feel like I'm sad, but at some times I don't know the reason why and usually I just try to get rid of it, like I try to brush it off and get over it."

Then Esmeralda said,

"It's not good to do that. If you feel like you have a problem, then try to address it and find a better solution to help, because bottling your emotions up like that will make things worse for you in the end."

Quasi added,

"She's right, if you feel like you are going through a struggle, then talk to me or someone you know that can lift your spirits."

I nodded my head in response.

Then Esmeralda said as she finished reading my palm,

"Other than that, you show that you have a lot of kindness in your heart for your family and friends."

Quasi then smiled in response and I smiled back at him.