The Benefit of Mr. Kite

1

YEAR: 1975

•Michelle's POV•

"Michelle, tu peux venir ici pour une minute?" (Michelle, can you come in here for a minute?) Papa said.
"Oui Papa?"
"Êtes-vous prêt?" (Are you ready?) he asked.
"Non, pas encore." (No, not yet.)
"Dépêchez-vous! Vous allez sur dix!" (Hurry up! You go on in ten!) he scolded.
"Je...Je ne veux pas effectuer ce soir Papa..." (I...I don't want to preform tonight papa...) I whispered.
"Je ne me soucie pas!" (I don't care!) he yelled as he pulled me hair. "Soit prêt!" (Get ready!)
"Je suis désolé Papa," (I'm sorry papa.) I cried.
"Bien. Maintenant obtenir à lui!" (Good. Now get to it!) he said as he walked out of my trailer.
"Je déteste ici." (I hate it here.) I sobbed. "Je dois aller..." (I need to go...)

I got up from my chair and grabbed my suitcase from underneath my bed. I searched all over my trailer for every article of clothing I could find, well every article that wasn't costume related.

Three minutes until he gets back...

"Oh mon dieu, je dois aller..." (Oh god, I need to go...)
"Michelle!" Papa called.
"Venant Papa! Je dois juste une minute de plus!" (Coming Papa! I just need one more minute!) I shakily replied.
"Rencontrez-moi sous la tente! Et dépêchez-vous pour l'amour de Dieu!" (Meet me under the tent! And hurry up for god's sake!)
"D'accord..." (Okay...)

I need to go.

Once I was sure he was under the tent, I ran out of my trailer, suitcase in hand, and headed for the nearest dock. A boat was my only way out of here. As soon as I arrived, I pulled a gentleman aside, and tried to persuade him to let me on his boat.

"Excusez-moi! Monsieur!"
"Oui? Comment puis-je aider..." (Yes? How can I help...) he trailed off.
"Vous êtes Michelle Kite, à droite? Le funambule pour le cirque de Kite?" (You're Michelle Kite, right? The tightrope walker for Kite's circus?) he asked.
"Oui," I sighed.
"Vous êtes phénoménal! Je amour votre acte!" (You're phenomenal! I love your act!)
"Merci," I whispered. "Pouvez-vous aide me obtenir hors de ici?" (Can you help me got out of here?)
"Où avez-vous besoin d'aller?" (Where do you need to go?)
"Partout, mais ici..." (Anywhere but here...)
"Je suis rubrique dehors à Londres, si tu-" (I'm heading out to London, if you-)
"Londres? Très bien, maintenant allons-y." (London? That's fine, let's go.)
"Génial," he smiled. "Je suis Richard Henderson par la manière." (I'm Richard Henderson by the way.)
"Ravi de vous rencontrer Richard," I shook his hand. (Nice to meet you Richard.)

We were out at sea all night; I hardly slept. Around five in the morning, we finally arrived in London, England. How exciting! I've never step foot out of France!

"Merci beaucoup Monsieur." (Thank you so much Mister.)
"Vous êtes bienvenue mademoiselle Kite," (You're welcome Miss Kite.) He smiled as he waved goodbye.

I started roaming the streets of London; everything is so dreary...it's nothing like France. I was walking for about an hour before I caught a kind man's attention.

"Excusez-moi!" I called.
"What?" he raised a brow.
"Pouvez-vous-" (Can you-)
"English doll, english,"
"Je ne sais pas 'english'," (I don't know "english".)
"I'm sorry? I don't speak le french. What do you want?"
"H...Help..."
"Help? Help with what? I cannot help you unless you use my language,"
"Je suis Michelle." (I am Michelle.)
"Y'know what, come with me,"
"Pourquoi?"
"I'm gonna assume that you said why. Anyway," he mumbled as he grabbed my wrist. "I have a friend, she speaks, French, is it?"
"Oui,"
"You clearly understand English, yeah?"
"Oui,"
"Just can't speak it?"
"N'a pas été autorisé à apprendre." (Wasn't allowed to learn.)
"Yeah, I don't know what you're saying. Anyway, my friend lives a few blocks away. She's nice you'll like her, Michelle is it?"
"Oui,"
"For gods sake say yes,"
"Y-Yes,"
"There y'go. Come on now,"

The man dragged me through the streets until we finally arrived at a small, studio apartment.

"Anna, open up!" the man yelled.
"John?" she said. "Who's this?"
"Don't know. You speak French right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Are you fluent?"
"Fluent enough. John, who is this and why is she in my house?"
"Bonjour, je suis Michelle,"
"Oh..." she sighed. "Bonjour Michelle, je suis Anna, e tu?" she pointed to the man.
"E who?"
"And you!"
"Oh, I'm John," he said.
"So what do you want me to do?" Anna asked.
"Translate for me,"
"Does she understand english cause I don't know how much French I can handle,"
"Yeah, I think she understanding. Say yes if you understand," John said.
"Y-Yes,"
"Okay, Michelle, why are you here?" John askeenfui,"
"S'est enfui,"
"Ran away," Anna translated.
"From what?"
"Un cirque ... mon père etre spécifique."
"A circus...my fathers to be specific,"
"What circus?"
"Kite's la famille cirque,"
"Kite's Family Circus,"
"I went to that when I was younger I believe," he smiled. "I went when in '57. Where you in it yet?"
"Yes,"
"How old were you?"
"Cinque,"
"Five,"
"What were you doing?"
"Je ne veux pas en parler,"
"She doesn't want to talk about it,"
"Okay," he shrugged. "Where do you live?"
"Nulle part,"
"Nowhere..."
"Anna, would you-"
"John darling, I can barley fit myself in this shitty apartment and you want me to add another human? You're funny,"
"I gave you the option of marrying me but-"
"But I didn't want to take care of your little headaches," she sighed. "Can't she stay with you?"
"What if I put her up in a hotel?"
"And her having no way of talking to anyone? Yeah, that'll go over well. Oh, and I feel like you forget that she has the possibility of being deported. Unless you have a green card...do you?"
"No..."
"Fine," he groaned. "Michelle, you're gonna stay with me until we can get you a green card...okay?"
"D'accord."