To the fans of Les Miserables....
My personal version of the relationship between Valjean and Cosette.
I stood there holding onto to the letter in my hand. He has written to me after all these years. Its so nice to know he still cared, but to read of this after its been sent over two years ago, I wondered if he still knows. Its silly of me to asked but we were so young then. He was nineteen and ..... I was just fourteen. How was I know that Papa would hid the letter from me when he got it.
"Oh why, Papa? Why do you hide this letter? You know I love him then? You could have told me to wait and he would had waited. He said so in the letter held in my hand. Let me read to you Papa. 'Cosette, if you consent to my love, I would wait for the day you would are old enough to marry me. Please reply, your real love, Pierre.' Papa, he would had waited and maybe I would had consented now. " I held the letter close to me.
"No, Cosette. I saved you from the scoundrel. Pierre is a man not after your heart, he is lusting for your beauty. I swore to protect you when I met your mother. I listened to her telling me of you; she loved you and she was dying. It was to me she pledged her trust to protect you. I did bring you to my care from the thieving Innkeeper couple. They would had sold you when of age to the streets and milked your honor for the money to their pocket. My only mistake was to be deceived by Pierre to befriend you when you were so innocent." Valjean looked away to the sky and tears appeared at his eyes. He is hurt that Cosette thinks he is a tyrant in their relationship. His mind moved back to the day he met her mother who only knew him for a short time and yet she entrusted him with such a task. Its unheard of then as many who obliged are rogues and scoundrels That got him thinking of Pierre and how he tried to influence Cosette under his own home.
"Pierre, I regret the day you stepped into my life. I would kill you one day." Valjean shouted out in frustration.
"Papa, how could you? I only confessed my infatuation then. As I have said, I only wanted to know what he was feeling. I was young then but I am sixteen, going on seventeen. I know that I'm naive in the subject of love then, but I was wise to know what is good and bad. Pardon me, Marius. But let me speak my mind." I looked at my current beau, Marius who stood there with a disbelieving expression. I looked back at my Papa, the man many called Valjean.
"Papa, I was young then and Pierre was always at my side when you were not. You were busy in your work; the owner is needed, called and you leave. I have no one to speak to but Pierre. He was sweet and most of all listened to my woes. I beg of you not to kill him as besides talking, there was nothing that we did. But he did confess his love to me, and I told him I would need to consider it as I was young then. I love you, Papa and then I could not consent without your approval. But soon he left and I was left wondering, did he actually love me. I waited for his return but he did not. Now I know why. You hid his reply to me." I sat down on the armchair and Marius came to stand beside me. Marius laid his hand on my shoulder which I leaned my head on. I know who I love now.
"Cosette, you could had told me. I would not had done what I did." He looked at me with remorse in his eyes.
"As you were then, Papa; you never listened. How could I have told you when you were never there?" I could felt Marius hand clamped hard on my shoulder. Its the feeling of comfort and warmth I felt when he does that. "You do not even know that I was old to think for myself. You thought of me as the little girl you took home from the Inn. Papa, you held onto your past too much.... Sometimes too in your eyes. Can you let it go the past and looked to the present?"
"Cosette, I am so sorry. You are right,. I am an old man with a past that cannot be forgotten. And sometimes, I even forget that there are some in my present life needed my attention too. I apologize again. Please do let me make it up to you. Marius, please do a better job than me for her?" He looked at Marius but I am upset at his words.
"Papa! You cannot asked Marius to do that. He is my friend and not my husband. Anyway, not yet until I am married to him." I had then stood up and faced my papa, and Marius was shocked at my words.
"Cosette, do I not mean anything to you? I love you. I could do more than Pierre." Marius stepped forth to faced me.
"Please, Marius. Do not react too harshly. I do love you but we are not ready for marriage. Until I am married to you, Papa is my guardian. He must learn that as he had evaded that responsibility. That is why I am upset. He thinks only for himself; hiding my letters for his own thoughts. And now letting me go to you for he feels he cannot take care of me. He is doing the same as he was with Pierre. I want him to be my Papa not in name and love but in taking care of me. Till the day I choose to marry you." I looked back at Marius and he nodded.
"Papa, do you hear me? I am no more the naive five year old you brought home. I am near seventeen and I still my need my Papa." I ran to my papa and hugged him. He does so in return and he said these beautiful words.
"I would be a better Papa to you. I promised you that."
In the distance the sound of drums and singing can be heard.
'Tomorrow we'll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!'
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