Seine

ROSALIE Andre…

Andre was sitting silently, he wasn’t even crying… He was living in a different world, where Oscar was still alive, where there was still hope… He didn’t hear Rosalie’s voice.
Rosalie, the witness of their friendship and love, was crying.

ROSALIE Andre… Can you hear me?

Andre turned to Rosalie, as if he got up from a dream. His heart was broken again, he had lost Oscar’s smile. Oscar was placed in a small church near the square along with the bodies of all the other citizens who had died in the battle during the day. Rosalie was taking care of Andre all the time and tried to encourage him.

ROSALIE Andre, I know your suffering. I know that nothing on earth can be compared to your pain. But, I also know that Oscar would want me to take care of you. You are still alive; you should do your best for living. Still you have your love to Oscar.

ANDRE Rosalie, I can not endure this…

Rosalie, put a coat on Andre’s shoulders. His eyes were able to see barely. She had to keep an eye on him.

After Rosalie left, Andre walked down on silent streets. People had taken the charge of Bastille. The era, which he was waiting and wishing for, had come.

Gentle breezes were cooling his wet face. Anything around was reminding him Oscar. Winds were carrying her smell and each time he was feeling as if her hair was touching his face. Andre was feeling her presence all around. Oscar was there, she didn’t leave him as she had promised. They had a dream, a dream of a world where every human being was equal and love did not need any permit. Then he remembered Oscar’s last words.

OSCAR Is everything over now?

This time he was answering it honestly, with all his heart. Could it be over, if their dream survived?

ANDRE Nothing is over…

The young man, Alex, was turning back to his house. It was late night and he was pretty drunk. In the beginning of that night, he was endlessly unhappy and hopeless. He had walked by Seine and then sat near a blind man. He had seen that man many times but had never talked. Suddenly, that blind stranger had started:

MAN Do you have hope? Obstacles, circumstances, classes… All can be endured… But, do you have any hope? Is a new day coming each morning?

Alex turned to him.

MAN So don’t worry. Seine will flow everyday. And when you are in the darkest moment of night, sunrise is closest.

ALEX What about you? Why are you sitting here everyday? Don’t you have hope?

MAN I am waiting… I lost my light; I am waiting for it.

Then blind man started to tell the story of a rose…

While Alex was riding back, he was still thinking the story. It was hard to believe to what that man told. Any detail about that story was incredible. A woman, who is raised as a man, had become a commander in Royal Guards. Not only this, but she had chosen the side of people during Revolution and had fallen in love with her servant. She had the courage to choose her own life path.

Alex was also amazed by Oscar and Andre’s love. From friendship to impossible love, they had both suffered and fought against everything. Andre’s worst nightmare had come true; he had seen Oscar’s death and had to bear a life without her. For a second, Alex put himself to Andre’s place. He would have done the same, he could not either stay in Arras, where she was buried, he would not live the life they had both dreamed. Then, Alex realized that man hadn’t told him what Andre had done next. In a sudden, behind the blur of alcohol in his mind, he was able to understand. He whispered: “Andre… He was Andre…” As Andre had said in the beginning, he was waiting for his light and was trying to give light to other hearts in the shape of hope. Compared to what they had endured for France and their love; Alex’s life was no way desperate but also was a loss since he had never thought about what he really wanted. Oscar’s life had inspired him; had made him think what the good is. He repeated Andre’s story’s first sentence; “She was born with a destiny of roses”…

THE END

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