Part Four – The Curtain Call
"And that is where our story ends," conclued Courfeyrac.
"What? That can't be all of it!" protested the child who sat comfortably on the throne of Courfeyrac's lap. "What happened afterwards? What's the end?"
Courfeyrac laughed. "Well, you might want to ask your sister about that."
Willingly, the child turned to the quiet girl who sat on the table opposite him. "Well, 'Ponine?"
"Well what?"
"Well, what happens after you fall in love with Enjolras? What's the real ending?"
Eponine laughed, stooping down to pick a particularly naughty little handkerchief from the floor. "Ask Enjolras," she replied shortly in a roundabout manner.
"Well?" said the boy, turning to interrogate the next person.
Enjolras chuckled under his breath. "The story never really ends, Gavroche. But if you want an account of what happened afterwards, then I'll give you a brief history lesson. We started the June Rebellion shortly afterwards. Marius disappeared—I found out later that he'd been rescued and he's with Cosette now. During the fight at the barricade, Eponine and I got separated. I thought she was dead. She thought I was dead. But only a few months later, we found each other again. Like Courfeyrac puts it, truly love never dies."
"Oh, that's boring. Courfeyrac tells stories much better than you do, Enjolras."
Enjolras laughed and Eponine looked up tenderly into the blue sea of his eyes.
"What makes you think Courfeyrac's story is just a story? It could be true," said the young man. When the little urchin frowned and looked at him closely, Enjolras' face was all innocence. Without waiting for an answer, he took Eponine by the hand and they exited the Café Musain, smiling and whispering to each other.
Still waiting for an answer, the child turned expectantly back to Courfeyrac, who held him like a man holding his younger brother. "Well?" he said.
Courfeyrac laughed. "Gavroche, it's just a story!"
Unconvinced, the boy frowned. "No, I don't think so."
"Well, it's up to you to decide if you want to believe me or not."
"Please, please tell me!" begged Gavroche. Seeing that his grovelling failed to move the determined Courfeyrac, the mischevious urchin turned to threats: "Or I shan't sit on your lap anymore. You know how I hate it anyway. I like to run about and be free, you know."
Courfeyrac raised an eyebrow.
Gavroche had one more card to play: "I'll tell Marius that you told me the whole story and all the names you called him in your head when he was in Enjolras' body."
At this Courfeyrac gave in immediately. "Very well then, you little imp! It's a true story. But don't tell Enjolras and Marius. They don't like being reminded of the embarrasing incident. They might tell you otherwise, but believe me, it's true."
"Where's your proof?" demanded the child.
"Haven't you noticed that Enjolras is always uneasy whenever Cosette is around? It isn't because he dislikes her. It's because of what happened. And haven't you realized that Marius is always fidgety whenever he has to give a speech to even the smallest crowd? He turns green like a frog! Again, because of what happened."
Gavroche laughed.
"Well, run along then! I told you the story so go and do whatever it is that you do best!" Courfeyrac rumpled the boy's messy hair and off the child went, singing and hollering and laughing without a care in the world.
Courfeyrac looked on, shaking his head and laughing.
Dear reader,
It has been almost a year since the 'incident', or, as I like to call it, the Change of Bodies.
Eponine is now Madame Enjolras—how droll it sounds, doesn't it?—but you'll get nothing out of me as to how it all happened. You'll have to ask Enjolras, but that will be a very daunting task. He has changed much since the time of the barricade, for both the better and the worse. You see, there are times when he falls into a state of depression—ugh! he is a very boring, self-pitying nincompoop on those days (Grantaire and the rest of them would not approve, I'm sure)—but he seems much happier than before, now that Eponine is his beloved wife.
If you get nothing out of Enjolras about how he proposed and all those sentimental details (he's so formidable sometimes—especially in that body), you can always try Eponine. But let me just warn you that after becoming very good friends with Madame Pontmercy, her mind's been infected with an unhealthy dose of the romantic. The version she gives you might be a little too full of sappy love and white weddings and how handsome Enjolras looked and this and that… the details she'll give you are really endless! So maybe you shouldn't count on her.
Try Marius and you'll end up feeling recklessly desperate. Once a woman asked him for the details of Enjolras' wedding and she ended up wringing his neck. He gives none of the good details that people want to hear! If Eponine now gives the overly romantic aspects, Marius is still the same as always: the bone-dry fellow who sees only black and white. His has always been a world lacking in color. Except for Cosette, that is.
Actually, Cosette would be the best choice. After meeting Eponine, she's become much more sensible really. More quiet than before, less sappy. Hmmm…
I'm beginning to sense a pattern here, dear reader. Recently Enjolras has been acting annoyed. Strange really. And Cosette is sensible! And Eponine is sappy! Is it happening again? A second Change of Bodies, perhaps? How strange!
As for me, I am still the same as ever. Except I am less lonely. For now I have my beloved Azelma. But if I continue talking of her, I will find myself going on and on about her beauty, her loveliness, her goodness… Oh dear, it's started! Well, I have found my own true love. That is that. I know now why my mother named me Etienne. For I am the crowned one. I have four limbs intact, my head and eyes and nose, and though I still eat bread and water for breakfast and bread and water for dinner and bread and water for supper, I have four loyal friends and a woman who loves me dearly and whom I dearly love.
And how can you be sure that all I have told you is true? Well! Good friend, haven't I told you? Etienne Courfeyrac is an honorable man.
The End! If you want to write a story about Courfeyrac and Azelma, or maybe the switch between Eponine and Cosette, go ahead! As for me, I have two goals: to please myself and to please you, dear reader. I can cross out the first; can I cross out the second? I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! :D