One day when I was two and a half, and Azelma was one and a half, Mama was pushing us one the swing when a strange woman came walking up. She was a pretty lady, with long hair that was like spun gold. She seemed to be staring right at me on my swing. The look in her eyes was hard to explain. It was like a look of happiness, sadness and admiration combined. She had gorgeous eyes of blue. Then I noticed what she had in her arms. It was a child. A little girl. Mama walked up to the lady and started talking to her. I was so distracted by the woman that I hadn't even noticed Azelma and I had stopped moving and my little brat of a sister was kicking, trying to get the swing going again.

Mama came over and took me and my sister off the seat. "You three play together," she said. The Lady had put her little girl on the ground she came towards us. We stared at each other, her and me. She had nut brown hair and her mother's large blue eyes. She was my age, I knew it right away. Finally, somebody else to play with! Somebody besides my sister, somebody new!

I took her small hand in my own and led her to my favorite spot in the yard where the ground was soft. I handed her a stick and we started digging holes in the ground. Azelma joined us and grabbed a stick of her own. Azelma liked to mimic me. She did everything I did. Azelma looked up to me and I felt proud. In my wicked little mind, I thought of the things I'd make her do. She'd eat dirt, if I told her to.

I looked at the girl, we weren't so different. We both were pretty and rosy cheeked. My hair was more auburn then hers, redder. Both Azelma and I have red in our hair. Mama has very red hair. She gave me auburn hair and Azelma strawberry blonde ringlets.

This girl digging holes in front of me had very blue eyes. Mine were gray but still pretty. Mama told me they were like shiny diamonds and silver.

"Not less than seven francs, and six months paid in advance."

I looked up, and saw Papa standing at the door of the tavern. "I'll pay it," said the Lady. I didn't know at the time what they were talking about and I didn't care. The Lady was probably just going to spend the night. The only thing that mattered was that she was here and I could play with her girl.

After a little while Mama came and picked up Azelma and carried her into the house. Papa came out and took the Lady's bag inside, like he always does. He always carries the luggage. I took the girl by the hand and we ran through the door, and the Lady fallowed after us. I brought the girl by the fire place. Back then I didn't speak many words. I knew how to ask simple questions, answer 'oui' and 'non' and say my favorite foods.

Wanting to know who I was playing with, I asked the girl her name. "Cosse," she replied. It seemed such an odd name to me. I looked up at the lady. "Cosette," she said, looking at her daughter lovingly. "That's her name. Cosette." She picked up the girl, Cosette, and hugged her in her arms.

The next morning I came downstairs in my night gown for breakfast. Azelma, the lazybones she was, was still asleep. On the way down I saw that the room the Lady slept in was empty. The Lady was gone, and she must have taken Cosette with her. Mama and Papa were standing near the door.

I walked over to Papa and he turned me around to face Mama and stroked my hair. "You've set a good mousetrap with your little ones," he said.

"Without even knowing it," Mama answered.

Then I looked over to the fire place. THERE, sitting on the stool by the fire was the girl, Cosette. She was still here! What did this mean? I walked toward her. She too was in her night dress. She had been crying; her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears. I didn't have to ask. The Lady has left her behind. She was to stay with us.

I didn't know at the time, but the Lady was only leaving Cosette with us for a short time, or so she planned. But in my being a child, I just had a new play mate. Her mother left all of Cosette's clothes behind. I was very jealous of her fine wardrobe of silk dresses and fine under things. Not that I didn't have pretty dresses of my own. Mama and Papa always gave me and Azelma the best. And Mama always kept us clean.

At first we all played together, me, Azelma and Cosette, like we were all sisters. But after a while, things started changing between Cosette and my parents. About a month after Cosette had come, the three of us were playing hide and seek. I took Azelma's hand and we went behind the big tree in our yard. We waited for Cosette to come, but she didn't. After my patients finally wore thin I looked to see where she was standing, she wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere in the yard. She knew we weren't allowed to go beyond the yard without Mama or Papa. She must have been in the house. I ran to the front door, Azelma close behind, she ran fast for a little one, barley out of infancy.

Well when I reached the door I saw Cosette, standing near the stairway, wearing nothing but her little chemise. She stood with her hands to her side. Her eyes were wide with confusion.

I saw Papa and Mama at the table, packing a bag. I went to get a closer look. It was all of Cosette's clothes. "It should all be worth 60 francs," Papa said.

"Papa?" I rested my chin on the table top.

"Ah, Eponine, Ma petite pullet, "Mama said to me before Papa could answer. "Can you do something for Mama? Go upstairs and fetch the old blouse with the stains on it and your old skirt with the tare."

"She can go about bare. I don't see why we should go through any trouble clothing her," said Papa.

"Maybe it wouldn't matter to you, being a man. But I will not have the women in the village gossiping about a naked child running around the Inn."

I didn't hear the rest; I just ran upstairs and grabbed the old skirt and blouse like Mama said.

So Cosette was made to ware me and Azelma's ragged clothes. That didn't bother me in the least. It meant I wouldn't jealous anymore. It got even stranger. Cosette was not allowed to eat with us at the table anymore. Mama made her eat under the table.

Eventually she wasn't aloud to play with us anymore. I saw her change before my eyes. Mama fed her on table scraps. Cosette grew thinner. And then Mama gave Cosette our very large broom and told her to sweep. Cosette stood there like she didn't understand. "Take it and sweep the floors, wretch!" Mama yelled. That was the first time I ever heard her yell at Cosette. She used to speak to her so sweetly.

'Why was this happening?' I thought. Then Mama slapped her across her delicate face, like she was a lowly servant.

I knew then that Cosette was no longer my friend and play mate. She was a servant, a scurry maid, a brat abandoned by her mother. She now worked for us. She was a wench to be pushed around. I won't forget the first day I pushed her in the mud.

I looked down upon her. I didn't love her anymore.

(A/n: Well what do you think so far? Continue?)