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| Enchanted |
Part 2
Meanwhile, Andr�, who was trying to sneak out of the mansion to go to get drunk at the tavern, was stopped by his grandmother: �Andr�! Take the chocolate to Mademoiselle Oscar, I am too much tired this evening!�
He tried to avoid this corv�e, but his ancestress was inflexible. He was now in front of the door of Oscar's room, holding the tray. He would have never wanted to be there, but he had no choice and he knocked at the door. Oscar started, like waking up from a dream, and she was relieved when, after having said mechanically, �Come in,� on the threshold appeared Andr�.
�Come, Andr�, come in.�
�Hey... grandmother asked me to bring you your chocolate... she was feeling tired... I am sorry... I am leaving immediately.� he said, placing the tray on the coffee table, next to the bottle. He noticed that the bottle was half empty.
He straightened up and was surprised to hear Oscar's voice saying: �No, Andr�, stay a little while... I wanted to ask you... do you know something about squirrels?�
Andr� was left stunned by the question. �What?�
�Hem, well... there is this strange squirrel here... on my writing desk...�
Andr� looked at the desk and saw the squirrel. �Oh, how cute! What is he doing here?�
Oscar drew close to Andr�: �It is a strange animal... don't you think that he looks like my father?�
Andr� looked at Oscar and then he cast again a look at the bottle. �Hum... if you say so, Oscar... I think that it is time to go to bed... to get some rest...�
Oscar shook her head: �Andr�, I need to talk to you.�
Andr� felt a shiver down his spine: the last time she had told him she needed to talk to him in this very same room it had been a catastrophe. However, he couldn't say no...
�Have a seat, Andr�.�
He sat on the chair and Oscar sat opposite to him. Andr� was holding his breath, between fear and hope... she had spoke with such a tender and sweet voice... The squirrel looked at the scene and understood that his efforts didn't achieve his aim! She didn't understand anything, and worse... she was about to tell something to that man! The man that she was in love with... he had recognized him!
The squirrel threw himself from the writing desk and ran towards Oscar, while she was beginning to talk: �Andr�... it isn't easy to say what I have to tell you tonight, but... So many things have happened lately... and above all... I have understood something important... I didn't believe it to be possible, but my heart... I know now what my heart was telling me and I didn't want to listen to...�
Andr� opened his eyes wide with astonishment, while his heart began racing madly... she had never talked like that about her feelings, could it be that... The squirrel had made it to Oscar and climbed the chair and then scrambled up her shoulder... he tried to stop her by pulling her a lock.
�Ouch!� Oscar said �Let me go, what's the matter with you?� and she grabbed the squirrel and put him on the table. The little rodent was shaking his head, meaning she mustn't speak: to kiss that man, to throw her arms round his neck, but not to tell him anything! Otherwise it would be a disaster!
Oscar didn't understand the little rodent's strange gestures and neither did Andr�: �It seems he is already attached to you, he looks almost jealous!� he said, trying to chuckle.
�Hum... yes, maybe I remind him of his old owner... it is obvious that he is a domestic squirrel...�
Oscar swallowed ad resumed talking: �Andr�, I have to tell you something important...�
�Tell me, Oscar...� Andr� said with a warm voice.
Oscar took all her courage and decided to talk: it was time to open her heart to the man she loved.
�Andr�, listen, you have to understand that I could never love another man but Fersen.�
She had just pronounced these words that she realized what she had said, lifting a hand to her mouth, opening her eyes wide. Andr� became petrified because of Oscar's words, while the squirrel was beating his forehead with his paw, in a dramatic gesture.
Andr� got up and with a glacial voice that was intended to choke down his pain without coming off he told Oscar: �I think that... it is time for me to go away... yes...� And without saying another word, he made for the door.
Oscar roused herself from her astonishment to tell him: �Andr�, wait!� but he bowed and got out.
Oscar took her head in her hands: how had it been possible?! She didn't understand... why those words came out like that from his mouth? She felt tears running along her cheeks and she got up as well, to go to bed, throwing herself on her bed, without even taking off her clothes, sobbing. After few seconds, she felt something caressing her hair: the squirrel had joined her in her room and was caressing her head with his paw, to console her. She dried her tears with the shirt's sleeve.
�Thank you, my little friend... tomorrow it's another day... I will explain everything to him tomorrow.� and after these words she fell asleep, exhausted.
The squirrel shook his head: he had to follow her and be supportive, to help her get out of this trouble. After all, she was his... daughter!
The autumnal sun darted out with his pale rays that morning. Oscar woke up, and the first thing she noticed was a squirrel sleeping against her chest, all curled up. She had fallen asleep still dressed and her clothes were all crumpled. The squirrel woke up as well and sat on the bed. He had his cheeks empty: before falling asleep he had found a place in that room where to hide his food provisions... the things would take a long time and he needed to have a food supply much closer.
Oscar got up to freshen herself up and change her clothes, while the squirrel turned away. She noticed the gestures almost-human of the animal once again. She thought about what had happened the previous evening, and she did not understand... why had she said those words? It absolutely wasn't what she wanted to say! Had she drank too much? She cursed that habit of drinking in the evenings: once it wasn't like that. But what the hell, what had happened in her life? It was time to change: it was her fault if Andr� maybe didn't want anymore to have anything to do with her... but if that really was the case... she didn't know what would happen to her life. Her heart sank: she couldn't imagine her life without Andr�.
Meanwhile Andr� had woken up and had began his corv�es. He was doing his job in the stable like an automaton, a void in his heart. Once again he had lost her... she had told him those words that sounded like a death sentence. After having finished his task he went to have breakfast, as his grandmother was waiting for him in the kitchen.
In the meantime Oscar had come downstairs and into the kitchen, because she adored having her breakfast there, together with Andr� and his grandmother. She would talk to him, explain, she would say sorry... and she would tell him how much she loved him, if it wasn't too late. She had on her left shoulder a little passenger: the squirrel had planted himself there, to watch the situation, after Oscar had finished brushing her hair. This amused her very much and she let the little animal stay there. She entered the kitchen and was welcomed by granny, all smiling and by the smell of the chocolate biscuits that the latter had just took out of the oven.
�Oh, good morning my child, you woke up very early today! But what do you have on your shoulder?� said the elderly lady, coming closer.
�Oh my God! A mouse!� Nanny shouted, grabbing the broom.
�Where?� Oscar said, turning so as to see this mouse.
�But it's on your shoulder! Ahhhhhhhh! I'll call for help! Help!�
Oscar laughing: �Nanny, it is time to change your glasses! There isn't any mouse, this one here it's a squirrel!�
�What? But what are you doing with a squirrel?�
�Let's say that he adopted me.� Oscar said, without knowing that her words were truer than what she could imagine.
�Well, you are not going to let him sit down at the table to have breakfast at all!�
�Don't worry, he is very clean...�
The elderly lady opened her eyes wide, but didn't say anything because Oscar seemed much more serene with that little animal.
Oscar sat down at the table, and the squirrel walked along her arm to go to eat on her hand, where she put a biscuit. The squirrel thought that it wasn't too bad, after all, having a human daughter.
While Oscar was drinking her tea, Andr� entered the kitchen and was surprised to see her already up.
She saw him and told him: �Good morning Andr�.�
�Good morning, Oscar.� he replied.
The silence that had grown between the two youths made nanny understand that it was better leaving them alone, because it was clear that they had had a fight, and she didn't want to know why.
�Well, I am going to look for some new cloth for the washing up. Have your breakfast.� With those words she left.
Without saying a single word Andr� sat down at the table and took his cup of tea. Oscar was looking at him without knowing how to broach the subject. The squirrel had gone after another biscuit in the dish.
Oscar took a deep breath and said: �Andr�, about yesterday evening...� she began, but Andr� cut her off abruptly: �There is nothing to add, you have been clear, I understood.�
Oscar stiffened, but took courage: �No, Andr�, there is a misunderstanding, maybe I was too tired, I don't know...�
Andr� looked at her with astonishment: she had such a sweet voice, such a sad face and eyes... No, he was fooling himself again! The squirrel, still in the dish, had been distracted by the biscuits, they were too delicious! And he didn't realize what was about to happen.
Andr� looked at Oscar with sweetness and said: �All right, Oscar, I am listening to you... tell me...�
�Andr�, listen, you have to understand that I could never love another man but Fersen.�
The noise of the chair falling down roused the squirrel from his gastronomic ecstasy and made him realize the situation: it had happened again, she had spoken, had said the same thing again and he hadn't been able to avoid it! Andr� was standing, dumbfounded, and Oscar was petrified on her chair: the squirrel looked at the one and at the another, with dismay. Andr� clenched his fists and ran away.
Oscar stood up as well: �No, Andr�, wait!�
And she dashed off in his pursuit, running desperately. The squirrel threw himself from the table and tried to run after her. Oscar got out of the kitchen, but Andr� had disappeared. However, Oscar imagined where he could be gone and headed to the stable, her heart heavy with anguish and her mind shocked: how had it been possible, this time she was sure not to be drunk! In front of the big door of the stable she took a deep breath before opening it: the daylight entered with her and she saw Andr� who was saddling his horse.
�Andr�, wait!�
He kept doing his work without saying a word.
�Andr�, please, wait, listen to me!�
Andr� stood still, as if he was trying to control his emotions, then he turned around towards her. He looked at her in silence. The squirrel had joined Oscar and had climbed up on her going to place himself on her shoulder.
�Listen to me...� she said while the squirrel pulled her again a lock, but she was so taken that she didn't even notice it.
�Listen to you again?� he said. �And why? You have already said everything... if I could believe you were drunk yesterday evening, it seems to me that this morning you had already sobered up. I don't understand why you torment me! You do know that I love you, that I can't live without you, never, and yet you hurt me, it is cruel!�
Oscar took a step towards him, stretching her hands out: �No, Andre, you are wrong, I didn't mean to hurt you, believe me, please!�
He sighed: �It is very difficult to understand then...�
Oscar had tears in her eyes, she was trembling and seemed so sincere: �Andr�, I don't know what has happened, I know my feelings, now they are changed...�
The squirrel tried to stop her again, pulling a lock of her hair, but she took him gently and placed him on one of the saddles.
The squirrel protested, but nothing doing, she was carrying on: �Yes, my feeling are changed, I have seen what is the most important thing, I have realized who is the dearest man, the one who will always be here for me...�
Andr� let his arms fall to his sides, he was fascinated by Oscar, she was so different... so... so womanly! The force of the hope that had supported him until that moment kept infusing the courage into his heart: he would listen to her again, yes, he knew that whatever she would do, he would stay there for her always, until the end.
�All right, Oscar... your feelings have changed... so you accept your femininity and this is already wonderful... I have always hoped that you wouldn't deny your being a woman, but also... I have always hoped that your woman's eyes would lay on me. I know, it is crazy, but you can't give orders to a heart, you know... Oscar, don't leave me in this agony, please...�
Oscar shook her head: �Oh, Andr�, I have never wanted you to suffer, really... forgive me, forgive me...�
The squirrel already climbed Oscar's legs trying to stop her once again. Too late: �Andr�, listen, you have to understand that I could never love another man but Fersen.�
One couldn't tell who had the most astonished face between the two of them, if Oscar or Andr�. The latter turned around, finished saddling the horse and exited without breathing a word. Oscar was paralysed.
�But... what... what's the matter with me! I just said the opposite of what I wanted to say! It isn't possible! Andr�! Andr�! Please wait! Wait! W...� but he had already left at a gallop.
Oscar fell on her knees, desperate, crying her heart out. The squirrel jumped on her shoulder and with his soft tail tried to dry her tears.
�Oh, thank you my little friend� she said caressing the little rodent's head �I don't understand... it seems that I am not able to say the truth about my feelings anymore... as if there was a spell...�
The squirrel nodded shaking his little head. Oscar was left petrified because of the surprise, then she took the squirrel in her hands and put him before her face, looking at him closer.
�What? Do I have hallucinations? It seemed to me that I saw you nodding.�
The squirrel shook again his head in order to nod.
�What? Do you understand what I have said?�
Once again the squirrel nodded.
�I am certainly dreaming.�
The squirrel shook his head to say no.
�S... so... if I am not dreaming... is it true that I am not able to say the truth about my feelings anymore... because of a spell?�
The squirrel nodded.
Notes:
[1] Second condition: Oscar must say 3 times in the fanfic: �Andr�, listen, you have to understand that I could never love another man but Fersen.�
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