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Tears had filled his eyes. Alain was missing his dear friend
and seeing Oscar’s desperateness was
hurting more than anything. He left fast for not witnessing anymore tears.
Just after the departure of Alain, a stubborn cough started
to shake Oscar. Her lungs were rocked
as if they were going to burst into pieces. She wasn’t getting enough air. Not
only that, she was unable to stop her fall from the stairs. Oscar was lying in front of the church with a bloody
handkerchief when the cough started. A while ago, this illness was an enemy of
her, which was holding her back from her duties and threatening her life.
However, this time she saw it as a rescuer, which would help her to reunite
with Andre.
Oscar was walking
on the narrow streets and then she saw her white horse. For a few seconds she
remembered their days in Normandie and dreamed of the happy days that they were
unable to live. That few seconds had soothed her pain a little bit. Oscar took her horse and started to run as fast as
she could. The next thing she remembered was blood coming from her horse. They
were both fallen. The last connection to Andre
and their unreal happiness had gone. Three soldiers, who were amazed by the
idea of catching rebel woman commander alone, had surrounded her.
Oscar was fighting
with them as tears fell down to her cheeks. Nothing; tears, screams were not
stopping her pain. Such kind of a pain might have killed her; her heart should
burst into pieces. But she was alive.
OSCAR I loved you, Andre… Probably from long ago. I realized it too
late. If only I had realized that I loved you sooner, we could have had much
better days together. You were beside me too quietly and too kindly. So that I
didn’t realize my love for you. Forgive me Andre…
Not recognizing one’s love is more sinful than betraying one’s love.
She had recognized his love late; she had admitted her love
later. As if they would live forever. But now, she had lost Andre.
OSCAR
Andre, answer me… Is everything
over now?
It was just started. Their love, their union, coming of a
new age which would allow them being equal had just started. Was it over?
It started to rain by midnight.
Oscar was under that heavy rain and
coughing was back. Then she saw a child, carrying the dead blind musician. He
was probably the son of the musician. Oscar
followed him. The boy was taking his father’s body to the Seine.
It was the last will of his. After floating his body, the small child took the
accordion of his father and started to play it. “The Seine
never stops flowing. Dad used to say that… Yet the Seine
still runs. Engulfing the sadness and hardships, the Seine
runs. The night lasts for a long long time. But the sun rises in a bright
morning. And there, the Seine flows swiftly
and softly.”
Oscar
looked over Paris.
Was it only a dark night? Would sun rise eventually? No, her sun had
disappeared forever…
Rain stopped as dawn drew near. Oscar
got up in a street. She stood up. Then her tired eyes saw a figure on the
street. Andre… Andre
asked her what was wrong. He told her that everyone was heading toward
Bastille, taking up guns to fight. Oscar
was paralyzed, Andre was standing in
front of her. She was smiling and even had forgotten what had all happened. Her
mind, which was weak against this kind of pain, was playing games to her. Soon
after that she realized that it was Alain, not Andre.
Suffering from this perilous lung’s disease, Oscar had thought
this to be her fate. They were destined to be together and she would follow
Andre soon… But for a moment she was sure she had seen Andre before her - and
suddenly she knew that she couldn’t give up just like that. Andre would have
told her the same. If he was alive, he would have told her to fight… Fight for
their love, that hadn’t been accepted…
Bastille had long walls and cannons. It was killing the
crowd around the Bastille like flies. Now, Bastille was a piece of hell. Citizens
had 12 cannons but the men were not educated to use them. Oscar’s
and Company B’s arrival to Bastille was a new hope for them. Oscar jumped in front of the cannons with agile
movements.
OSCAR
Elevate 45o degrees.
Aim the upper part of Fortress. Fire! Fire!
Flames raised in the fog of gun powder. Everyone around was
rocked except Oscar. She was stepping
strong to the ground as a landmark. Bastille was shaken by these unexpected
cannonballs. Her precise aiming had strengthened the citizens. Bastille had
only one chance; shooting Oscar. Ten
soldiers had aimed their rifle towards Oscar.
Oscar, who was busy with cannons,
hadn’t realized the soldiers. She was in front of the cannons, in the range of
rifles. By the order of their commander, they shot Oscar.
Oscar was looking
at a dove, when she was shot on several points in her body. She fell down,
tried to raise her body but couldn’t. Doves were flying also when Andre died. Oscar
lied there with open eyes.
ALAIN Commander!!!! Oscar!!!
Can you hear me!!! Commander!!!
Oscar answered him
without closing her eyes:
OSCAR Don’t yell, Alain. I can hear you.
ALAIN What are you all doing? Give me hands! Move her to a
safer place!
Cannons of Bastille were destroying the whole city. When
they were in a dark street, Oscar told
Alain to be put down.
OSCAR Please… I beg
you!! I am really tired… Five minutes is all I need… I want to rest in peace.
The doctor was hopeless; he wanted them to wipe the blood from
her face. Rosalie wiped the blood away.
Years ago, she was combing her hair in Mansion Jarjayes. Now, fate… Oscar opened her eyes half by the touch of the wet
tissue. She looked up. The dove was still there.
OSCAR I can’t hear
the firing of our cannons. Fire, keep firing… Storm the Bastille. Fire, Alain,
fire! What are you doing?
ALAIN Ex-French Guards! Everyone get back to your positions.
Alain saluted Oscar
for the last time. His eyes turned wet, as he knew that it was the last time he
saw that brave woman alive. Oscar was
not hearing anything anymore. She was in the forest in which she and Andre had spent their only night together. Some say
that people see their whole life before dying. Maybe in her case, she was
seeing a night which was worth all her life. The lights of insects were
touching the river and then the last one disappeared totally. Oscar realized that she was leaving, said “Au revoir”
and closed her eyes totally. She saw Andre
in the darkness with his soft smile. She was going to him.
Rosalie
shouted: “No!!!” She had never believed that this would happen. Oscar, her Oscar,
had died.
Oscar’s life was an
extraordinary journey. She had suffered between her manly life and passionate
heart. Their power struggle had hurt her. But this dilemma had made her accept
all her and she had loved the man who also accepted her as she was. For years,
meaning of her soul resonated over the world, inspired people to discover
themselves:
Never will I regret
what I've done...
for I already had the biggest happiness of the world ...
love...hate...
If I could relive this life from the start,
I would still choose the same path…
THE END
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