Chapter 19
I OWN NOTHING OF LES MISERABLES OR ANYTHING CONNECTED.
...
"Maman? Why are you here?" Éponine demanded, folding her arms. She knew her mother loved her, and she was in an awful state, but she'd done nothing about her daughter's awful state for the past few years. So why should Éponine do anything for her mother, until she has the facts?
"R-R-Ran a-away," she croaked, convulsing around her center.
Éponine was more than shocked. She had convinced herself in a short few seconds that her Maman was here to do her father's dirty work and get Éponine to go back to her thievery and abusive home.
"I'll get her water," Nicolette excused herself.
"Lottie, can you get a cushion or something to support her back?"
Lottie nodded, and followed Nicolette's direction into the back room.
Éponine knelt in front of her mother, taking her hands.
"Maman, did you really run away? How do I know this isn't one of Papa's schemes?" Éponine asked, looking into her teary, bright eyes.
"I l-love you...I c-can't lose another child..."
"So you did run away?"
She nodded weakly. Éponine smiled and squeezed her hands.
"Are you okay? Are you injured, or are you tired and hungry?"
"T-tired, and hungry...B-bruises...a-a-and cuts..."
Éponine nodded.
"I know people who can help you. I'll get one of the girls to walk home, it's only a few minutes away. They're going to get the men, and they'll help take you home. In the meantime, I'll sort you out with some water. Is that okay?"
Madame Thernardier nodded weakly. Her wrinkled face looked the picture of fear and desperation, and she stretched her skin into a smile for the first time in weeks. When had her daughter become this organised and caring, and helpful? She couldn't help but feel a bit of pride.
Nicolette and Lottie came back with water and cushions, and Éponine asked them to get Enjolras, Joly, and Marius. Nicolette left, and Lottie stayed to help with Éponine's mother.
"So, you're Éponine's Maman?" smiled Lottie, trying to keep the woman happy and distract her.
Madame Thernardier nodded slightly, a weak, yet proud smile, on her tired face.
"Well, Éponine and I have a friend called Joly, whose a doctor. He should be able to help. We also have a friend Enjolras, and he's going out with Nicolette, he's a very serious character, but he's cracking. And then there's Marius, Éponine's-"
"I think Maman needs rest? I can catch up with her later," Éponine hastily interrupted at the mention of Marius. Madame and Monsieur Thernardier had known about Marius, and he wasn't exactly their favourite character.
Lottie smirked, and laughed slightly. Madame Thernardier looked curiously at her, but ignored it, and shakily lifted her water for a drink. Her stomach grumbled, and she clutched her centre again.
Not a few minutes later, the men arrived.
Marius was the only one to recognise Madame Thernardier, and he shared a wary, cautious look with Éponine. She shook her head as if to say ,"Not now," and asked them to help escort her mother home.
...
"Madame Phillie?" Éponine called out.
"Oui, ma chérie?"
"We have a special guest, and she's injured and very sick. Where should I put her?"
"Hmm, in your room, 'Ponine. I'll be there in a minute with some food," Phillie ordered.
Enjolras, Marius and Joly carried her in and placed her on Éponine's bed. When she was laid down, Éponine stood beside her bed, looking down with worry. Marius noticed this, and hadn't a clue why she had had a complete turn in affections for her mother. He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest.
Éponine had no idea how bad her mother's situation was, but she had nearly always feared the worst since a young age, and had reason. She couldn't stand losing anyone else.
Joly quickly checked out her injuries, and then smiled up at Éponine.
"Éponine, she's going to be fine. She's not too bad, just a few glass wounds and bruises. Time and rest will heal the bruises and muscle stiffness, and I'll clean and bandage the cuts now. Once your mother gets fed, bandaged, washed and rested, she'll be just fine."
Éponine felt a smile growing on her face. She had been genuinely worried for her mother, despite the fact she hadn't seen her in ages, and despite the fact that she didn't have the best upbringing. She grabbed Joly for an enthusiastic hug, and ruffled his hair.
"Thanks, Jole," she grinned.
He raised his eyebrows. "Jole?"
"Well, we've got Colie, Enjy, and Lottie's name is already a nickname. We couldn't leave you out could we?" she smiled sweetly.
Joly laughed and shook his head, going to get his bandages from the kitchen.
Phillie brought in a tray of food, and helped feed Madame Thernardier.
"I-I'm no Ma-Madame...T-Thé...," she tried to say, but couldn't finish her sentence.
"Thérese? You want us to call you Thérese, not Madame?" Éponine prompted.
Her mother smiled thankfully, and nodded slightly.
"Well, Thérese, you eat up and then Joly's going to clean you up and bandage you."
...
That night, Marius and Éponine were curled up on their sofa.
"Why?" Marius suddenly asked, interrupting the sadness.
"Why what?" Éponine looked up, confused.
"Why the sudden change in affection? You tried to get away from this woman and her husband for years, and now you're beyond concerned for her safety?"
Éponine looked down, and remained silent. A few moments later, she looked up at him.
"I always knew that my Maman loved me, but she was too scared to stop my Papa. Just as I was too scared to run, she was too scared to stop him. When you grow up with no love, you'll cling to anything that shows any signs. And she did. We always sort of knew...She never said anything, but I knew. It was the little things. When I was supposed to clean the floors, she'd take the brush as soon as my father turned her back. If the men in the gang advanced on me, or Papa started trying to trade me to them, she'd hitch up her skirt or something else along those lines to distract them from me. I'll always be thankful for that, and even though we both have weird ways of showing each other, there's a love there somewhere."
Marius nodded, overwhelmed. He kissed her forehead, and she nuzzled back into his neck.
...
The next morning, thanks to an excessive amount of water, Thérese Thernardier's voice was back, although it was still raspy.
Éponine visited her in the morning, and went to sat beside her bed, taking her hand.
"How are you, Maman?"
"Better than I've been in a long time," she smiled. "Thank you so much, 'Ponine, and all your friends too."
Éponine nodded. "It's no problem. I'll tell Joly and Enjolras you said merci, they're great men," she grinned, trying to avoid the subject of Marius.
Thérese nodded. "I think I've seen that Marius boy before..."
Éponine looked at the floor, anywhere but at her mother as she realised.
"He was your friend, wasn't he? Before all of this revolution...He's always been your friend, hasn't he?"
Éponine nodded.
"He seems lovely," Thérese granted with a smile, sensing something more.
"Yea, he is," Éponine smiled.
"That must be why you're courting him then, I assume?"
...
I AM SO SORRY!
I am weighed under with insane amounts of revision. I have to learn the last three years of maths, in the space of like three weeks. I'm afraid I probably won't update much, if at all, until the end of my tests, which are on the 31st May. Then I spend all my summer in a holiday caravan in Rós Neamlach, Dún na nGall with no internet connection...So I plan to finish up this story by the end of June:(
Again, SO SORRY!
Léis an grá i mo chroí,
Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.