Memory

Chapter 2-A Grief That Can't Be Spoken

After the funeral I witnessed from a far a few days later, I stood by her grave next to her father.

                       CHRISTINE DAAÉ
                              1880-1907
                       Beloved wife and mother

It's not fair. This can't be she was 28 years old. I placed the rose with my ring around it and put it next to her. "I love you" I whispered and walked back to the opera house. Gustave would stay with him for now. There would be time for questions. The vicompte had even sent me a letter. I could not find the words to write back. I should do it now and get it over with. The opera house had not recovered since I was last here 10 years ago. Perhaps it can be rebuilt once again who knows? Back in my lair I went I had tried to clean as best I could it kept me occupied from the silence and the grief that would consume my every being otherwise.
There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on
Empty rooms and empty stages
Now my Christine is dead and gone
Here we made our son
Here I sang about the night
But the night never came
By the boat near the lake
She could see my world in her mind
And she rose with a voice ringing
And I can hear her now
The very words that she sang became one of her last
In this lonely room that night
Oh Christine my love forgive me
That I live and you are gone
There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on
Phantom faces in my reflection
Phantom shadows behind me
Empty rooms and empty stages
Where my Christine will be no more
Oh my Christine don't ask me
What your sacrifice was for?
Empty rooms and empty stages
Where my Christine will sing
No more...

I stoped cleaning and went to my desk to write the vicompte the letter.

Raoul Vicompte De Chagney

I resisted you letter and will do as you asked. I will tell you everything since Christine never had the chance. The night before your wedding Christine came to me. Not because she did not love you, she did in her own way but she was tormented by her choice. We were intimate that night. It was not something either of us planned or expected. Afterwords I left her, ashamed of what I was and afraid to face her. I took the cowards way out and left her with you. What I did not know is Christine was willing to follow me, tell me that she loved me, to confess her love but I had already left. We both knew why. She married you and I do not know what happened in your marriage during those ten years but I can guess the rest since she was not a happy wife. I asked her to come and sing for me and knowing what Hammerstein was paying her I offered to dubble, she refused and then I met Gustave, I did not know he was my son until the next day. When I had shown him my face and Christine confessed everything and I promised myself that everything I had would go to him and made Christine swear that Gustave would never find out. She promised. I wanted her to choose me because I knew that your love was not enough for her nor what she needed she never knew about our deal she chose me and Gustave disappeared. Meg almost drowned him but let him go. I tried to stop Meg but the gun went of and Christine was shot. Before she died she told Gustave the truth thinking that you had already left for Paris and that I was the only person he had left, he ran away to find you and Christine died in my arms, telling me to take the love that I deserved. I'm hoping to honor that promise. I want Gustave to know me and I want to know him. I hope you can find it in your heart to let him come and see me at the opera discreetly for as long as I live. I want nothing more than for him to live with me but it will raise questions we cannot answer. I love the boy, please consider it at least. I wish you well and take care of him. For the sake of Christine.

I remain your obidiant servant

Erik O.G

The Opera Populaire

12 July. 1907

I finished the letter, she is here I can sense it.

Think of me
Think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Help me say goodbye