Eponine

CHAPTER 1: EPONINE IN A LITTLE BLUE HAT

During her early years, Eponine Thenardier would hum to herself as she combed her doll's beautiful red-brown locks. The doll was made out of porcelain, and its skin: smooth and milky to the little girl's touch... wherein the little girl would love to caress over and over. She would stare dreamingly at the doll's unbelievably huge eyes. She (the doll) had hazel, and so did Eponine. Everyone told her how beautiful the doll was... "Must be expensive" they'll all comment. Eponine would smile proudly, "My Mama and Papa got it for me."

And yes, so the little girl thought, she would always get what she asked for.

Her mama would always dress her in ribbons, frills and ruffles. In fact, she would look like her doll. Her mother would boast her as "Eponine the little doll of France" or so she thought.

Mme. Thenardier was a vain woman. Their neighbors would shower her with compliments as she would walk down the street. Eponine, her daughter, was named vainly after one of the heroines of Mme. Thenardier's tragic romances.

Eponine would love to copy her mother's style, regardless it looked hideous or not for a mature audience. Her mother's big and multitude arrangement of assorted ribbons in her wild nest of red hair went into her liking. Mme. Thenardier's appearance was what people call eccentric, but little Eponine thought otherwise.

M. Thenardier runs his inn in a colorful manner. Little Eponine would laugh occasionally with his theatric antics. The way he treats the customers of his inn- clever! At the end of the day, he would let the little girl sit on his lap as he would tell the stories of his success: how such a simple deception would earn them a month's worth of wealth. Eponine would giggle at her father's adventures and misadventures while her mother would sort the things people have "left" at their inn.

"Finders... Keepers, my dear Eponine" M. Thenardier would stress to her. It was the right thing to do, Eponine thought, if it meant money then how can it be wrong?

The doll that now nested in Eponine's arms was just given to her by her father a few nights ago. It had no name at first, but then the little girl decided to call it Nina...

"My dear Eponine, you were supposed to be named Eponina, but I guess your father wanted it to sound better..." her mother would explain to her sometimes when she had nothing to do at night but tuck the little girl to bed.

Eponine rarely got tucked at night, it was one of the nights wherein she knew her mama and papa would have a little disagreement, but they will get along again in the morning.

Things would be well, things would get better... Even when she saw a red mark on her mother's cheek... She knows where it came from... But it will be gone.

"Sleep now my little Eponine..." her mother would tell her

"Tell me a bedtime story mama," the little girl demanded happily "Tell me stories of princesses in nice ball gowns and princes that slay dragons!"

"Getting very excited, aren't you Eponine?" her mother said with slight annoyance that the little girl wouldn't let her go. Seeing her daughter's eager face, Mme. Thenardier sighed. One night of giving in wouldn't hurt, besides, she wasn't eager to see M. Thenardier. "Alright," she started "Just this once..."

The little girl would smile.

"Once... There was a beautiful princess with a little blue hat... Her name is Eponina... Her blue hat was beautiful that it made everyone envious... The blue hat itself was magical..."

As her mother continued telling her a story... Eponine's mind began to wander. The blue hat in the story appears to be enchanted... What wishes does her little heart hold? Perhaps have a little brother or sister that she could play with or maybe travel around the world... She mused to herself that when she turns into a young lady, she would wear beautiful dresses and then a young handsome man would meet her and eventually fall in love... Then just like in fairytales and bedtime stories... They get married and lived happily ever after.

Maybe that would be the fate of Eponine Thenardier, the girl in a little blue hat.