The Hunchback's Sister

A Word From God

Bella awoke the next morning, to the smell of smoke.
She ran out of her room, to the balcony, that overlooked the city, and saw that a lot of it was now on fire.
Wanting to know what was going on, she quickly got dressed, threw on her cloak, and began to run down the steps of the cathedral.
When Bella reached the ground floor, she had to come to a hault, to avoid running straight into the Archdeacon.
"You're in a hurry this morning, child" commented the holy man.
"I was on my way outside, to see what is going on out there. You don't happen to know, do you?" Bella asked.

A pained expression filled the Archdeacons face, as he nodded his head.
"I am afraid I do. I was awake before you, and I had just begun lighting the candles in the cathedral, when they started the fires".
"Why are the burning the city?" Bella questioned.
"It seems that Judge Frollo will stop at nothing, to find this gypsy girl. When he found out that she had escaped from the cathedral, he was very angry, and he immediately started a search for her.
He is even offering a reward, to anyone who gives him Esmeralda's location. When I woke up, it was 10 pieces of silver, but I hear it has already risen to 20, since then.
Frollo is also rounding all the gyspies he can find, and locking them up"
"All this for one girl?".

"Lust makes men do strange things" admitted the Archdeacon.
"Are you saying that Frollo loves Esmeralda?" Quizzed Bella.
"Ah, I said lust, not love. And there is a big difference between the two"
"I guess... I suppose Frollo won't stop, until he has found her"
"I fear you may be right. Which is why you shouldn't go out there today. You don't want to risk angering Frollo any further"
"You're right. I can't risk him seeing me, not after what happened yesterday... I'm worried about what he will say to me and Quasi, when he eventually comes to see us"
"I don't think you need to worry about Frollo today. He has enough on his mind at the moment. So I don't think that you and your brother's disobedience yesterday, is at the forefront of his mind".

"I hope you're right... Actually, Archdeacon I had a question, that I wanted to ask you" admitted Bella.
"I fear that I cannot give you the answers you seek. But feel free to ask away, my dear" replied the Archdeacon.
"Last night, I had a dream about my mother, for the first time in years. She was looking down at me, and smiling. I'm not sure if it was a memory, or just a dream, but it seemed so real.
Anway, in the dream, she seemed so nice. And I can't imagine that the woman from my dream, would just have abandoned me and Quasi.
I know you were there, on the night that she left me and my brother at the cathedral, and I wanted to ask you, what she was like. Because I don't believe Frollo's story, that she just left us, because she didn't care anymore. I believe that she loved the both of us".

"You do know that Frollo has forbidden me, from speaking to you, about what happened that night" reminded the Archdeacon.
"But he is not your master. You answer only to God... And I really need to know. I won't tell Frollo that you told me anything, I swear" promised Bella.
"Very well. You are old enough to know the truth. And I don't want you having any false hopes, that your mother may return one day... For I'm afraid your mother is dead. She came here with you and your brother, and she asked Frollo to raise you both here, before she died on the steps of the cathedral"
"And Frollo just agreed to it? He doesn't strike me as the kind of person, to just take on 2 children, who mean nothing to him. Especially as he reminds us how much he hates us, all the time".

"I think he was very upset by your mother's passing, and made a quick decision to keep you, one he couldn't go back on, as it made it in front of God... I may also have helped to persuade him a little" admitted the Archdeacon.
"Well you forcing him to take us both, makes a lot more sense to me" replied Bella.
"I never forced Frollo. I just reminded him to think of what would happen to his soul, if he left you both to die"
"So, our mother did love us? She didn't just leave us, and run away?"
"No, I believe your mother loved you very much, and would do anything, to keep you and your brother from harm. Which is why she brought you both here"
"I see... Do you- I mean, do you believe that everyone is capable of redemption? That there is good in all of us, and no matter what crimes we have committed, our sins can always be forgiven?".

"Yes, I believe that deep down, everyone is good at heart. And we should always forgive those, who have sinned against us. Did Jesus ask the Lord, to forgive those who nailed him to the cross, or not?" Questioned the Archdeacon.
"Forgive them, for they know not what they do. Yes, I remember. But is that really true of everyone. Because I'm struggling to find it in my heart to forgive Frollo, for his terrible treatment of us, even if he did take us in. Especially as he's been lying to us, about our mother all this time" admitted Bella.
"Though we strive for perfection, we are only meer mortals, and cannot be perfect all of the time. But we should always try and forgive, where possible, even when we find it very hard, to do so".

"If you say so... Well, I suppose I had better get back up to the tower, and get started on my chores" sighed Bella.
"Yes, but before you go. There is something I must tell you... I don't know whether or not Frollo has told you this, but I feel that you have a right to know. Your mother, was a gypsy" revealed the Archdeacon.
"But if my mother was a gypsy, then that means that me and Quasi are gypsies as well"
"Yes, it does. The gypsies have been your people all along, whether you were aware of it, or not. Which is why you have felt drawn to them, your whole life".

"It also adds another reason to why Frollo hates us so much. And makes it even more unlikely that he took us in, out of the goodness of his heart... I need to get back to my brother" admitted Bella.
"Are you going to tell him all that you now know?" the Archdeacon questioned.
"Yes of cour- no... Maybe not right now. I need to process this all first, before I reveal the truth to him.
I also can't risk Frollo finding out that we know the truth. And I know that my brother is not the best at keeping secrets, so prehaps I won't tell him"
"Well, I shall leave the decision, up to you... Good day Miss Bella"
"Yes, Good day, Archdeacon".