Memory

Chapter 5; A Stern Talkin To

I was reading the newspaper when Gustave came unexpectedly. He has never done that before. He is not even suppose to be here now. "Gustave what are you doing here? You are suppose to be on your way home from school." I noticed he had been crying. I guided him to the fire and let him sit in my chair. "What has happened?" I asked worriedly. "It's father...I wanted to visit mother's grave with him because it's her birthday but he just screamed at me. He doesn't love me...he has never played with me. I want mommy." He cried. It was horrible to see him this way. After he calmed down and putting him in my bed with a nice cup of tea and some chocolate next to him I headed straight to Raoul. That son of a...I'm sorry Christine. I'll just talk to him. I promise. Although it's going to take all my willpower not to punch his face. After a short walk I marched up to the mansion. I knocked and a butler opened.. "can I help you?" He said starting at my mask. "Is the vicompte in?" "He is"

"I'm here to see him and no I did not book an appointment" startled the man said "may I take your coat sir? Would you like a drink cigarettes cigar?"

"No. This will be a short visit I promise where is he?"

"His office down the hall to the left"

I talked over quickly. I opened the door gently. He was sitting by the fire holding something. A drink in his other hand and something golden in the other. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt and a messy hairline. "It's her birthday today and if she could see you now she would cry over how you treat her son. MY son. OUR son."

He looked up. Eyes red from crying. "Go away"

"I'm not going anywhere until you promise to clean yourself up, stop drinking and be a good father."

"What are you talking about where is Gustave?"

"He came home to me crying. You hurt him he wants to go to her and you refused."
"I can't my wife is dead! She is never coming back!.." He cried again. I pulled him into the wall. Glass smashed. "I'm grieving her to but unlike you I don't take it out on the boy. If you love her like you say you do. Get help, clean up stop drinking and make a life with him. He is in her. A part of Christine lives inside him and you will remember her and we move on. We have to otherwise we both die of sorrow. If Gustave wasn't here I would have died with her in that pier. I'm begging you, not as a friend that we can never be but as someone who loved Christine and Gustave as much as I do I pray she can't see you now."

I walked away. There was nothing more to say. I glanced at the golden thing he was holding earlier. It was a locket of Christine with the inscriptions All I Ask Of You. Their love song. I closed the door and on my way to the door a woman came up to me. "May I come with you?" Surprised I looked at her. She was beautiful. Like Christine she also had brown locks of hair exept her eyes were blue mixed with green. "To get the boy home I'm the nanny I was suppose to pick him up halfway from school but he did'nt come and then I saw you. Gustave talks about you all the time. It's hard to miss the mask. "Alright"

I want nothing more than for my boy to stay with me but he can't of course. We walked fast and arrived home rather awkwardly. "What's your name?" "Elizabeth Holmes but everyone calls me Eliza."

"Alright Eliza, my name is Erik Destler"

He walked into my bedroom and Gustave was sound asleep. "Let him sleep and while we wait may I offer anything? Wine?"

"Yes please my shift is over after this anyway besides he never pays any attention anyway"

"The Vicompte?"

"Yes ever since..." she wiped a tear away. "Did you know Christine?" I asked as we sat down. "Yes I was hired a few weeks before Gustave was born she was my friend, everyone liked her and we tried our best but it was hard for her. A husband who drinks and gambles is no easy thing. I thought she'd run for it but she stayed. But I saw behind her eyes how heartbroken she was."

Silence fell. I did not know what to say. What she said next made me choke on my wine. "You are the phantom aren't you? And Gustave's real father?".