Jungle fever
I do not own anything
Chap 2
Christine has been in Nadir Khan's home before. But the house couldn't comrade to this mansion. Everything were beautiful. Christine could see a white piano in the corner and a white long dining table in the middle of the room. There was also a vase full of red roses on the table. Everything was all set up for a nice and warm dinner between a couple.
The dining room was empty.
He wasn't there yet.
" I am sorry, Monsieur Khan has some works that need to be done before dinner so he will be a little late. You should have dinner first." Stephen said, almost looked like he was guilty.
" no, I am not hungry, I can wait a little longer."
" but … he may take a while. Monsieur Khan is talking to the police chief right now."
" what is wrong?" Christine asked.
" nothing important, mademoiselle. He will be back as soon as he can, but things may … get complicated… you should eat first…"
" okay, I will have dinner first then, but may I ask, where did you get those beautiful roses?"
"oh, there is a garden. Monsieur Khan loves those roses a lot. And he though may be you will like them, too, so he asked the servant to set a vase here."
" oh. They are so beautiful."
" he has a lot of hobbies."
" you don't mean he take care of the garden?"
" all by himself, mademoiselle."
" really?"
" yes, he likes to do those works without any help…"
' Erik Khan sound like a very interesting man already.' Christine giggled . " can you tell me more about him?"
" yes, monsieur Khan and I are childhood friends so I know a lot of things about him… how about I will give you a tour around the Khan mansion and tell you more about him after dinner?"
" sound like I have a good way to spend my first night here."
oOo
Christine sat in front of the mirror and combed her hair. She had found out a lot of interesting things about this mystery owner of the Khan mansion.
A knock.
Someone was at the door.
Christine walked over and opened the door for whoever wanted to come to her room at such a later time. She was shock when she came face to face with a cold mask man. He was handsome but the right side of his face was covered with a half white mask. But then, the mask only added more mystery to his character, he has a black hair and every beautiful golden eyes. And he also had a look that could kill anyone with just one glance.
" good evening, mademoiselle."
" good evening, monsieur. May I ask who are you? And what are you doing here at my door so late?"
" ahh, mademoiselle. You don't know who I am? When you are about to marry me in no more than two weeks?" the man in question smirked.
" you are monsieur Nadir Khan's brother?"
" the one and only, Erik Khan, I am sorry for coming at such a late hour. But don't blame me for not being able to wait until tomorrow to see my bride. And I must say I didn't expect such a beautiful and young lady would want to come half way from home to marry a man that she has never met before."
Christine blushed at his words. He was such a gentlemen, unlike someone she know…
" thank you , monsieur…"
" can I come in?" he asked.
" yes… of couse…" Christine pushed the door opened wider.
" thank you, Anderson told me a lot about you. But I want to talk to you myself."
" yes, I want to talk to you, too. I have a lot of things I want to ask…"
" you can ask me anything you want to know, m'lady."
" well… I would like to get to know you a lot…"
" we are getting marry after all…"
" I want to ask why did you leave France? I know from Nadir, you left France since you was 15 years old."
" yes, I did. What's wrong with that?"
" I don't know, why did you leave? I don't think it is about Nadir, right? He is a nice man. And his wife is also a very nice woman."
" it has nothing to do with Nadir. I love him, he is the only family I have even when he is annoying sometime."
" well, can't blame him for overeact with his only brother." Christine giggled at this.
" he was always going on and on about how I should get marry and settle down, in stead of going to Africa and work here. no one saw this place's treasure, I did, and look what I have here?"
"oh."
" you know a man always wants to build his own home. And in France everything I did, they would think that I had some help from Nadir. So I came here."
"oh… well… I have another question. Monsieur Anderson told me a lot about you at dinner, and also, I found a lot of music books and poem and novel, and there was a very beautiful piano in dinning room, also, Monsieur Anderson showed me your music room, it is amazing."
" and…?"
" you like music?"
"…"
" monsieur?"
"no, those aren't mine, I know you was a soprano before you came here, so I thought you would like that, beside, this mansion is rather huge, I need something to fill it up you know."
"oh…"
"…"
" you think I will think you weak because you like music and poem?" Christine asked, raising her eyebrow. How come everyone was terrified of this man was beyond her.
"…"
" monsieur?"
" fine, like you said, happy? I like music and poem, what is wrong with that? they are relaxing."
" well, I used to be a soprano before I came here to marry you. I will be more than happy to hear you play sometime." Christine giggled. " do you have any favorite piece?"
" I do believe 'phantom of the Opera' is a good opera."
" phantom of the Opera?" Christine asked, surprise. " it is my favorite, too."
"really? What do you think of it?"
" it is obvious that the soprano was in love with her teacher of couse."
" what make you say that? Her fiancée was handsome and noble and rich."
" well, I can't fell in love with a guy I only meet one or twince. She rushed things like that, she would regret it later, when her teacher was gone."
" I can not agree with you, her fiancée was a nice man and decent , he was handsome and a vicomte, while her teacher was ugly and old, her teacher had nothing to offer her while her fiancée could give her everything she ever wanted."
" it is not all about money you know."
" it is all about money."
"no, it is not. Everything is about love, when you love someone you will do whatever it take to make your one true love happy. I can see that her teacher was in love with her, so much that he could let her go, but I bet that the girl would regret her desion in notime, because I can see that, she loved her teacher back, she just couldn't see that yet."
"…"
" but when she finally sees her heart, he would be gone… that was a little sad."
" I know." He said quietly. " anyway, my apologies for not being able to come to dinner with you."
" it is okay, you had works to do. This place is huge, you can't possibly call this 'humble'."
"well, I tried my best."
" I mean, I have hear a lot about you, well, not a good thing but now I have seen it all…"
" I am not a good man, my dear…"
" no…"
" Monsieur…" Stephen's voice from outside. He sound sad. " everything is ready…."
" good, I am coming…"
" what is it? Is it a party or celebration?"
" no, stay in your room. No matter what you hear, don't come out."
" what?"
" let's go."
" wait…" Christine tried to follow but she was blocked by Maka.
" please listen to Monsieur Khan, stay in your room tonight." Maka said. Her eye were watering. " please…"
" no, there must be something going wrong around here, I am coming." Christine pushed Maka out of her way and ran toward the direction that Erik and Stephen disappeared.
oOo
" Stephen? Are you okay?"
" y…yeah… I will… he need to pay for what he did…. I am …"
" you don't have to see it."
" no… this is the last time I will be seeing him…" a single tear fell from Stephen's eyes.
" Stephen, I am sorry…"
" no, don't be… it is fine… I should have known better…"
" what is going on here ?"
" Christine?"
" mademoiselle Daae?"
" what are you doing here? go back to your room." Erik said angrily, but he looked like he was more panic than angry.
" no, what is going on? Is this some kind of traditional event?" she asked.
"no, get out of here before it is too late." Erik snapped.
But it was indeed too late. the drum were played.
" oh no, Erik…" Stephen pulled Erik's hand.
" shit." it was the first time Christine heard he curse.
Christine looked up to where they were looking to see a lone man who was sitting on a tall pillar. The man was shaking and only had a shield to protect himself, while the others were under that and were throwning anything they could at him, some even shoot arrows at the helpless man on the pillar.
" what are they doing? They will kill him…" Christine looked up in horror. And after twenty minutes, it was all over, the man was dead.
Christine was crying so hard.
She turned to two quiet man who was standing near her.
" why didn't you stop them? I though you are better than that, making fun of peoples's pain. And you." She turned to Stephen . " I though you were a good man."
" … ex… excuse… me…" and he was gone.
" do you know who that man was? He is Matthew Anderson."
Christine gaped.
" yes, Stephen Anderson's only brother. And do you know what he did to desert that? That was the way we punish someone here. he raped a child today. A nine years old child. And do you know who that child was? Maka's younger sister. Malin. The young girl could be alive and happy if it wasn't for that sick basta …." Erik said angrily. " look like you are not the only one who was wrong…" and he walked away.
oOo
Christine didn't see him again for a whole week. He was avoiding her. Well, she couldn't blame him for trying to do just that. She was ashame of herself, too.
' I couldn't believe I said that to Stephen's face. He must be heartbroken."
Trying to make things better again, Christine set up to find Stephen's first.
" hey, monsieur Anderson." She found him working on some papers.
" good morning, mademoiselle." Stephen said quietly, he was still upset with his brother's dead. Well, even if Matthew Anderson was a sick basta, he was the only brother Stephen had.
" Monseur… about what happened to your brother…"
" it was fine… I am sorry I couldn't do anything … but… I …"
" no, it was my fault to judge you and monsieur Khan like that, you are a good man, I am sorry for what Matthew did."
" it was… the tradition here, the victim's family will punish the man who hurt their family member, but Maka and Malin were orphans, so those are workers in the mansion… who worked with Maka and Malin… they are like a real family… Matthew knew about the law … but he though… Malin was an orphan… so there would be no one to punish him…oh… I should have … I should …"
" it wasn't your fault he is like that…"
"no, it is. When I followed monsieur Khan here, I should have leave him in France, he didn't want to come here… but he was… I though a new environment would make him good… he was … 'playing' around in France a lot… in here… there is not much to do…."
" Stephen… it wasn't your fault. That man … I am sorry… he wasn't good. You are a good man, you tried to do what best for your brother."
" I have never been a good brother to him."
" you are a good brother, you are good to everyone, and I am sorry for saying bad things like that to you, when I should have comfort you..."
" no, you were right…"
"I was wrong. Please, I know even when he did something unforgiveable… he was still your brother…. I know you are hurt over what happened… don't be sad or blame yourself, because your brother, Matthew Anderson, had no one to blame but himself. You did the right thing."
" thank you, mademoiselle, for saying that." Stephen smiled. " it will take a while but I will try. I hope you will be staying here for a long time."
" I hope that, too. I need to go find monsieur Khan and apologize for what I said to him."
" you will have more luck in later evening, monsieur Khan is with the police chief, you know …"
" yes, thank you, see you around , monsier Anderson."
"please, call me Stephen, we will become family in no time… Erik and Nadir are like good brothers to me."
" then I must insist you call me Christine."
" fine then, I wish you best luck, Christine."
" thanks, I am going to need that."
" I will find Erik and told him to go to you."
" thanks, Stephen, you are a good man."
oOo
It was later in the evening when Christine heard a knock on her door. She was reading a book when Erik pushed the door open, he was clearly still upset and angry.
" I heard that you want to speak with me, mademoiselle."
" well, yes, in fact I have blenty of things I want to say to you, monsieur." Christine said, roling her eyes, ' so we are back with mademoiselle and monsieur then, fine, be that way.'
" yes, I have something I want to talk to you, too. But you go first."
" well, for a start, I want you to call me Christine. You did when we talked last week, why so formal now? We are going to get married after all… and speaking of last week, I am …"
" we are not going to get married, mademoiselle." Erik snapped.
" what?"
"We are not going to get married. You will get on the first boat that will leave here in the morning." Erik looked at her with coldly eyes.
" but…"
" it is better this way, you don't belong here, you will never be…" and he left. Not wanting to hear another thing.
Christine was in shock of his words, but soon she was out of it and was running after the dark man, shouting after him.
" Hey Arrogant, left right after he finished what you wanted to say huh? Well, Erik Khan, not everything will be going on your way. I am staying whether you like it or not."
Then she ran back to her room.
Leaving the shocking Erik in the hall.
Raising his eyebrow, Erik also walked back to his room.
" we will see, Christine Daae, we will."
(TBC)
Note : sorry because it took me more time than I planed to, but I needed sometime for myself, to nursing my wound heart.