Oppressed (15 page)

“
I…”

“
Shhh.
” I pressed my finger up against his
lips and focused on the soft murmurs that were coming from beyond
the oaks. “The spirits,” I said shyly and somewhat
tensely.

“
And what are the spirits
asking of us tonight?”

His question and ease caught me slightly
off-guard. “You really care about the spirits?” I asked, as I let
out a silent sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to accuse me of
being a savage.

“
What is life without
spirit?” His eyes shimmered in genuine excitement.

I smiled and listened carefully and
heard two voices speaking in French. Not Creole French, but perfect
French as they spoke in France.

“
Dinclusin, you invite me to a
party, yet you don’t know where it is! I don’t know why I put up
with you. Why last week, Congo proposed to me. I should have
accepted his offer,” said an elegant, clear female
voice.

“
Ahh, Chalotte, you know that
you’ll never be happy with Congo. Your heart belongs to me, you
stubborn spirit,” responded a gruff male voice.

“
It’s Dinclusin and Chalotte.
They’re French
les mysteries
who have a rather complex relationship,” I
said.

“
How complex exactly?”
asked Lucus.

“
She’s really spoiled and he’s a
notorious kleptomaniac. They’re an odd match but despite their
differences they always find their way back to one another. She’s
demanding and stubborn. When she gets close to humans she always
demands that they give her a present, usually a piece of clothing
or jewelry. If they refuse, Dinclusin simply steals it for her. But
they’re also sympathetic to couples who have been unfairly torn
apart.” I heard their footsteps coming closer and I instinctively
knew that it wasn’t the best idea staying there, even though I
wanted the moment to stretch on for eternity and dreaded the fact
that I would have to go back to Edmond. “I don’t think it’s safe
that we stay here. Who knows what they’ll ask of us.”

Lucus nodded in agreement but before
we could turn around they appeared and I stopped dead in my
tracks.

“
They’re here,” I
whispered.

“
Where?” asked Lucus as he
blinked several times in an attempt to see the spirits.

“
Right beside
you.”

Chalotte was simply stunning with her
green silk and silver cut gown and flaxen hair that shone like spun
gold. Around her neck hung layers and layers of necklaces adorned
with precious jewels of all kinds. She instantly set her big blue
eyes on Lucus and I knew what she wanted. Next to her stood the
very muscular and equally alluring Dinclusin, who, with his
innocent baby blue eyes and dimples, didn’t appear to be a
notorious kleptomaniac.

“
Well what do we have
here?” Dinclusin’s eyes rested on my diamond necklace.

Chalotte placed her arms around Lucus’
shoulders. “Dunclusin, I want him!” she huffed.

“
Chalotte, be reasonable!
He’s too heavy to carry.”

“
If you love me you’ll do
it!” Chalotte stomped her feet. “He’s not too heavy! You’re just
lazy! We can keep him in our garden. We do need a new statue and
he’s so very handsome,” she purred as she gave Lucus’ right cheek a
little lick.

“
What the?” Lucus brought
his hand to his face and wiped away the streak of saliva the lick
had left behind.

I stood paralyzed, glancing from one
spirit to the other as they spoke, wondering how I could possibly
reason with them.

“
Hmmm.” Dinclusin poked Lucus’
stomach, tugged on his ear, and sniffed his hair. He walked around
him and inspected him from head to toe. “You’re right, Chalotte, he
would make a fine addition to the main garden.”

Lucus was still as the inspection
continued and the spirits continued to discuss if Lucus would look
better next to the Cherub statue or the Venus fountain.

“
Wait, you can’t steal him.” I
stepped forward and tried to reason with them.

“
They want to steal me?”
Lucus asked.

I nodded.

Chalotte’s large eyes moved over me.
“Dinclusin! I want her too! I want both of them together! They
belong together! I’m tired of those ancient bronze statues of Paolo
and Francesca; I need something new! ”

Dinclusin moved away from Lucus and
towards me. He pinched my cheeks, pulled at my lower lip and poked
my ribs. “You’re right, my beautiful Chalotte.”

I was outraged. “You can’t steal us!” I
shouted, as I slapped away Dinclusin’s beefy hand.

Dinclusin crossed his arms in
defiance; his eyes were full of fire and challenge. “And why is
that?”

“
We’re human. You can’t
steal our lives. It’s not right!”

Chalotte and Dinclusin started to
laugh and laugh. Their laughter prompted the oaks to shake and dead
leaves to swirl dramatically around us. Birds started to cry in the
background and the hiss of lethal snakes became
deafening.

“
What’s so funny?” I
demanded.

“
If you humans can steal one
another’s lives, then why can’t we spirits steal yours as
well?”

“
We don’t steal one
another’s lives,” I whispered slowly and rather
unconvincingly.

At my response the spirits continued to
laugh. Dinclusin scooped me off the ground and placed me under his
arm. “Let me go!” I screamed.

“
Cecile!” Lucus tried to step
towards me but Chalotte’s grip was too forceful; after all, she was
an almighty spirit.

Chalotte pushed Lucus towards Dinclusin,
who lifted him up off the ground with ease and placed him under his
other arm.

I glanced over at Lucus and felt the need
to apologize. “I’m sorry. These things always tend to happen around
me. Sometimes it’s a curse. Sometimes it’s a blessing, but it’s
always interesting.”

Lucus’ eyes were filled with astonishment
as we hung suspended in mid-air. His mouth twitched and when he
looked at me he simply stared for a few moments as if he couldn’t
find the perfect words to describe the moment. I held my breath and
waited for him to shout “you heathen!” because that seemed to be
everyone’s initial reaction, but to my surprise he extended his
hand for me to take. “We’re ALIVE!!!!” he shouted spontaneously.
“We’re ALIVE! LA VIE EST BELLE!!!”

He squeezed my hand and his energy filled
me with relief and hope and despite my fear I started to laugh
uncontrollably. “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!” I shouted at the top of my
lungs through my laughter. I surrendered to the sheer wonder of the
moment and soon I found myself finally understanding Bade’s words:
life can never be truly be bought or sold.

“
What’s so funny?!” demanded
Chalotte.

“
We’re alive!” I informed
her. “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!”

“
LA VIE EST BELLE!!!”
Lucus shouted again.

“
LA VIE EST BELLE!!!” We
screamed over and over again.

“
Dinclusin!” she screamed.
“Put them down! Put them down now!”

Dinclusin obeyed and released us. We
fell with a thud and landed on the muddy earth.

“
I want what they have. I
want to feel the way they do. Steal it for me. Steal that
feeling.”

“
Give me your feelings,”
demanded Dinclusin.

I leapt up from the ground and took
Chalotte’s delicate hand into mine and twirled her around. “My
lovely Chalotte, this feeling cannot be bought.”

Her lips quivered, she cocked her head
slightly to the right and stared at me as if I were telling
blasphemous lies. “You’re lying,” she said after a long
pause.

“
No I’m not. I’m perfectly
serious.”

“
I’m not leaving until you
give it to me!” she pouted.

“
Look, you were on your way to a
party, weren’t you?” I asked, recalling the spirits’ earlier
conversation.

“
Yes,” she said slowly.
“We heard that there’s a party close by with lots of finely dressed
people and lots of jewels.” Her eyes shone brilliantly when she
said the word jewels.

“
If you follow that path down
there,” I pointed at a clearing, “It will take you to the party.
But instead of spending the night stealing jewels, spend the night
dancing with Dinclusin.”

“
Dancing with Dinclusin! Why
would I want to do that?!” she sneered at my suggestion.

“
You love him, don’t
you?”

She silently eyed
Dinclusin.

Dinclusin stepped forward and I
stepped back and cast a shy sideways glance at Lucus. His hand
found mine and my toes curled. “What are they saying?” he
whispered.

Dinclusin’s eyes were filled
with desperate hope. “You love me,
non
?” he asked Chalotte as he took her hand into
his.

“
Oui,”
she said, somewhat
grudgingly.

His face glowed at her response and he got
down on one knee. “Then marry me, you beautiful spirit, and let us
celebrate by spending the night dancing!”

Chalotte’s beautiful face lit
up and her blue eyes danced. “
Oui,
Dinclusin!
Oui!
”

I looked up at Lucus and told him what had
played out between the spirits. He turned to fully face me, took my
other hand into his and pulled me close; so close that our
forehands touched and lashes met. I could feel his heat and energy
and hear the quick beat of his heart. “Close your eyes,” he
whispered.

I closed them and my body
trembled.

“
From this day forward you shall
be my beautiful spirit, my Chalotte, and I shall be your
Dinclusin.”

I laughed. “Are you suggesting that
we’re meant to drive each other insane for eternity?”

“
Yes, that’s exactly what
I’m suggesting. We’re supposed to drive one another completely
insane for eternity.”

I let out a little laugh and opened my
eyes. “Are you crazy?”

He grinned. “Yes!”

“
You’re absolutely insane and
you’ve had too much whiskey and champagne.” I forced a smile and
brushed off his dramatic prediction.

“
How sweet!” Dinclusin’s
voice jolted me out of my happy place.

“
What is it Dinclusin,
can’t you see that I’m a little busy?” I gave Lucus an apologetic
glance.

“
I don’t have a present to give
to my bride-to-be, and we’re about to go to our engagement party,”
he said.

“
Here, take this,” I said. I
took off my diamond necklace and handed it to him.

“
Thank you!” He snatched it out
of my hand and gave it to Chalotte, who gladly accepted
it.

“
Lucus! Lucus Guillaume
Merrieult Jacques LaPlante!!!” screamed a very loud and very angry
voice.

“
It’s Maman,” said Lucus.
“She’s overly protective and dramatic but I know her heart is
kind.”

I froze and a wretched dread came over
me because I knew that it was time to head back to reality once
again.

“
He he he!” Dinclusin
laughed.

“
Good luck!” Chalotte smirked as
the two slowly vanished.

“
Lucus Guillaume Merrieult
Jacques LaPlante!” The voice was getting louder and louder. “I know
you’re there! You cannot hide from your obligations! Stop acting
like a child and start acting like a man! You’re going to be the
heir to the family empire in a few years and you’re acting like a
heathen!!! What will people think? What will they think about me?
You need to start accepting your place in society! You’re of noble
blood, not savage blood!”

She appeared before us in a blaze of
venomous rage. There was fire and pure anger in her wide eyes and
her delicate cheeks were flushed in frustration. Strands of wavy
dark hair sprung loose from her rigid updo and I could see that she
was struggling to properly breathe due to her too-tight corset. For
a moment she stood there with her hands on her hips and her cheeks
started to get brighter and brighter as her eyes rested on
me.

Lucus protectively placed his arm
around me. “It’s going to be alright,” he whispered. “Good evening,
Maman!” He exclaimed cheerily. “Are you out for one of your evening
walks? It’s a lovely night. The beautiful spirits are alive and
well.” He gave me a teasing smile and my cheeks instantly became
hot and I tried my best to restrain my smile.

“
Don’t start Lucus. Don’t you
dare start! You were supposed to waltz with Richard’s girls! You
have obligations and responsibilities and you’re out here with
Edmond’s placée! He’s furious! Don’t you have any respect for your
family? ” Her cheeks became even more flushed when she saw that I
was wearing Lucus’ jacket. Her nails dug into his arms. “What
happened here? What have you done?”

Lucus gave her an easy smile and
gently freed himself from her grip, placed his other arm around her
and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Maman, you look simply
stunning tonight, why waste all your beauty on anger? It’s almost
the New Year. It’s a time for celebrating all that we have been
blessed with. Look around you just look at all we have.”