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Post by Jean Jondrette on Sept 21, 2008 14:22:21 GMT -5
Le Cafe Noir was not that busy at this time, it was between meals and the only people there were sipping tea, reading or quietly chatting with each other. The place was calm and relaxing, no one was yelling, no one was tense, everyone was just happy to stop there for a little while, catch up and return to their troubles on the way out.
Le Marquis de Jondrette was sitting at a table, alone, without his estranged wife, his daughter or even Hana. No, he hadn't seen Nicolette for a while and it was a good thing, after all, she was enraged at her husband for sleeping with another woman, waiting for her death so he could marry her. But he missed Marie, wishing he could see his little girl and how she was doing. He promised her that he would visit her when he was able to get away from his "sick godmother" and he intended to. If only that day would come...
Here Jean was among the lower classes, therefore he was in more casual clothing, since he wasn't needed in the offices much he didn't expect to go into a meeting. The lower classes did not more about the wealthier families, well the enormously wealthy families they did hear about, but they remained unaware of Jean and Nicolette's estrangement. Some wealthy families knew, but it was mainly the women who talked, the men feared if they went on about how Jean was an embarrassment to the Jondrette name, then they would seem monstrous if their wives found out about their mistresses!
Staring into a cup of tea, Jean realized that he really couldn't be happier. Hana and him were beginning to plan a wedding, they were deeply in love and they couldn't wait to start their new lives together. He didn't regret anything, except the fact he had compromised Marie in it all. But he was on his own now, hopefully something good would come of it.
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Post by ophelia on Nov 30, 2008 22:08:20 GMT -5
It was common for men and women alike to come to Le Cafe Noir just to talk. It wasn't gossip of the latest actress getting pregnant or anything low like that. One didn't even need to know a person to go up and start a conversation with no sort of awkwardness. It was just accepted, like everyone in France did the same. And that was what happened. The clatter of a chair and the gentle noise of feet moving across the floor joined mumbled conversations. What's more, the small feet stopped in front of Jean's table.
"Hello, Monsuier. I beg your pardon, but you look like you've led a hectic life." The calm atmosphere of the cafe even made the talkative Ophelia a little more mellow, and somehow brought out her kind side as well. Once at a table sitting with two of her friends, she had noticed a man sitting by himself. He looked young, but his face seemed aged and a little different from the average man. Yet the man also looked pleased for some reason, and Ophelia just being a curious teenager, wanted to know why.
"Would you mind if I sit with you? I promise I won't be in your way," She asked, her lips making a small pout. Her friends didn't bother whispering potential rumors they could start in fear of ruining the tranquility, but instead looked at her with suspicion. And it was fine since they weren't really close friends, Ophelia had just joined their little group a while back since everyone needed a few friends at the Populaire. "Please, Monsuier?"
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 1, 2008 18:45:08 GMT -5
Jean took a sip of his cup of tea after he let out a soft sigh to himself. When he finished with his sip he placed the cup back onto the china saucer it came with with a slight clink noise as it collided with it. He heard a light voice coming from in front of him, as well as a shadow that crossed over his table. It was a young girl who couldn't have been more than fifteen, with brown hair and a pale complexion. She was inquiring if she could sit at the table with him.
"Hm? Oh yes, of course you may mademoiselle," said Jean pushing a chair next to him closer to her so she could take a seat. The girl had also mentioned he looked as if he had led a hectic life. Jean thought there was never a truer statement spoke and it made him laugh a little on the inside. "You have a good eye, my dear. My life has been nothing but hectic since I was a small child, never really getting a break from it all. Pity the one who never had a real childhood."
But now he was rambling and he didn't plan on bringing the child down with his problems, as it is not wise for children to be thinking of such things adults worry about. Jean wasn't going to unload his baggage on the poor girl just because she was the first to take an interest.
"I'm M. Jondrette, what is your name, child?" he asked the girl with a kindly face.
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Post by ophelia on Dec 1, 2008 20:46:17 GMT -5
"Oh, thank you," Ophelia said with a smile, cocking her head. Sitting down on the chair Jean had moved, her expression said she was pleased he allowed her to stay. She wasn't sure if he was really okay with a small girl who didn't even know him wanting to listen to his problems. But from his words and tone of voice, he was a self-pity sort of man. Or maybe he wasn't, and it was the only thing he could think of to say. Either way he was still an interesting person.
Her eyes softened at his explanation; as he really did have a right to feel sorry for himself. Ophelia would have shown more sympathy, but she assumed he wouldn't have wanted it. She smiled again, although it was more sad and her slightly bent teeth were showing. "I suppose, Monsuier... but I will guess there is someone out there who makes you feel giddy like a child, right? One who makes everything alright; you must have one since everyone has had at least one love. Pity the one who's never been loved."
It was quite an ironic situation to onlookers, since Jean refused to unload his emotional baggage when Ophelia was practically begging him to tell his life story. The young inquirer even tried a common tactic; attempting to console the man by bashing herself in the process. Although it usually made her feel worse about herself, it was a wonderful conversation starter that almost every ballerina knew whether they liked it or not. "My name is Ophelia Beaulieu. Call me Ophie, Monsuier Jondrette. By the way... you had a happy look on your face earlier. Pray tell!"
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 3, 2008 17:33:18 GMT -5
Someone that made him feel giddy like a child. Jean mused on the thought, thinking about all the people in his life, wondering who did make him feel happiness inside when he saw them. There was Hana, of course, the woman who represented love and a new and truer life, there was Marie who represented his lost carefreeness and lost childhood. They both were lovely representations of things, then there was Nicolette, who had represented his adult life, his wasted life up until that point. It wasn't her fault, Jean thought, it was just she had been the wrong person at the wrong time.
"You are young, my dear, having years ahead of you. Enough time to find someone to love you and for you to love them. Neither of us should stoop to looking for pity, neither one of us is desperate enough for that quite yet," the Marquis replied, sipping his tea once more.
The girl introduced herself. Ophelia... not doubt named after the tragic Ophelia from Shakespeare's classic Hamlet, which he had read in his younger years, but the plot had escaped him after all those years. But he did remember feeling sorry for poor Ophelia, a girl who had a wrongly placed fate.
"Quite a lovely name, Ophelia. That look you saw on my face earlier was caused by thoughts of the not-to-distant future. Well hopefully they aren't distant. I have a fate waiting for me that will make me extremely jubilant. Involving a love I wouldn't give up for the world."
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Post by ophelia on Dec 7, 2008 0:10:15 GMT -5
Why was he was thinking? She looked at him with some uncertainty in her eyes. The various romance novels that were available to Ophelia often told of having one, maybe two loves at most. Ophelia also never heard of men who fell for more than a couple women in a lifetime, despite her slightly disturbing naiveté. Jondrette... she was positive she had heard of that name before, perhaps her mother mentioned it once? Either way, she hoped the nice man wasn't like that.
Her eyes widened at his comments. Yet unlike past conversations, the young girl remained calm despite the fact Jean mentioned her youth. It must have been because he said it as if she had a future, and showed some wit afterward. Ophelia was impressed, as she should have been since it was different from what was normally heard, which varied from, "You are just a child! Children do not find love!" to "It is impossible for young ones to find love these days!".
"...Yes, you are right," she admitted, ashamed of her actions just seconds ago. Although by just looking at Jean one could tell he wasn't very old, she felt like she was speaking to a father. Ophelia found lying to parents (or parent-figures) quite impossible. "I apologize. You speak like you have experienced it all firsthand, a true bel esprit. It seems I may never grow up at all... Perhaps you could share some of your wisdom with me?"
The mention of a love that could never be traded for anything made Ophelia's own heart flutter as she started to babble about her own ideals. "That sounds so lovely, you two must be so happy right now... Love is so mystifying, it raises the soul... She must be so beautiful..." Stopping herself before she could go further, another smile was shown to the man, although less content. "I... I mean, it's great you are so pleased, Monsuier Jondrette. Your future sounds wonderful, although one must wonder why it cannot be achieved in the present."
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 7, 2008 10:57:03 GMT -5
Jean listened to the girl's apology, when she really didn't need to. Ophie was a child and no matter how wise she may be, she is allowed allowed to say such things. She was a wise little thing, though, she seemed to long for the mind of an adult with experience of the world. something Jean would happily give her in exchange for the care-free mind of a child. Then again, his mind held dark things and he wouldn't wish those affairs on his greatest enemy.
"My dear, I can't offer you that much wisdom, unfortunately," Jean said with a small chuckle. "It's flattering of you to think me wise, but age lies to people. I am merely 25 years old and have very little experiences to share regarding love."
Ophie then asked him why he couldn't marry his love immediately. He had to think of a way to explain it to her to still preserve her childhood mind. He can't simply tell her that he was married and since France did not allow polygamy, he had to wait for his current wife to die of consumption! No, definitely not the thing to tell child, espeically if you couldn't tell an adult with hesitation.
"It's a complicated situation, Ophie, very complicated. Let's just say that we can't be together at the moment. We have to wait for certain things to fall into place and occur before doing anything. That's all I'd rather say."
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Post by ophelia on Dec 10, 2008 22:23:39 GMT -5
"You're so humble too," Ophelia exclaimed, although her tone was soft as not to disturb the atmosphere. But meeting an adult such as this was truly a once in a lifetime situation, or at least that was what she was thinking. She often encountered such humble or young adults, but they lacked the togetherness Jean had. And the other adults Ophelia usually met turned her off after the first meeting. It was also surprising to hear he was only twenty-five, younger than she could have imagined. Yet his age also gave her some hope, since he found true love at a much younger age.
"But please believe me, you are the wisest adult I've ever met," she explained, her doe-eyes wide. It must have been embarrassing for the man, as he won a girl's trust and adoration over in minutes. And it was well deserved. "Your love is such a lucky woman. Do you think I could ever meet her? I would really like to know what qualities attracted you to her."
Yet Jean chose bad words, which were supposed to be subtle, although a hardcore romantic might be able to figure out the gist of it. Unfortunately, that person would be Ophelia. She mused over his words for almost ten minutes until she recalled a collection of novels that had a character similar to Jean. The novels told the tale of an innocent girl who had a handsome young fiancee. Yet as time passed, he spent less time with her, and eventually called the engagement off claiming he had another love. As it turned out, he had a mistress who was a terrible, clever seducer that charmed the wit out of him! A villainess; women in books who had affairs with married men was often portrayed that way.
Considering how solemn and cool Jean was, Ophelia felt her theory was far-fetched. Yet it could also make sense. But warm as she was at the moment, as a teenager her tongue had a poison tip and her slap was near menacing with topics she felt were horrible. One just happened to be cheating, as it broke the 'ideal romance' she loved. Although her lips curled into a delicate smile, there was some curiosity and hidden fire in her eyes as she said, "Monsuier Jondrette... I know love is complicated. But how difficult it is often depends on how many people are close to you. I have read some stories where the spouse cheats on the protagonist, it's really scary and sad..."
Although she didn't say it aloud, Ophelia was terrible at being subtle, so the message probably got across pretty well. The obvious unasked question was, "Did you have an affair?"
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 13, 2008 12:47:44 GMT -5
Jean was shocked at the child's perception. He was shocked that she was able to conduct from his words that he was implying at an affair. She was obviously a well-read romantic as Jean's situation wasn't new in the romantic world. If anyone had read a book where the main character, or one of them, was having an affair, the behaviors of that person would be done in real life. Jean did not try to hide these behaviors anymore, but it was the first time someone had directly asked him if he had an affair.
The Marquis sighed and looked down at the brown liquid in his cup. "Then I guess you can say I'm the protagonist's spouse, Ophie. But you must understand, I was confined to an arranged marriage at a young age, too young to have been in love at all and now they were telling me I had to marry a woman the first time I met her! I thought I could learn to love her eventually, but that day had never come and I was unhappy. The proper term wouldn't be an affair, as you conduct one against someone you love or loved. Unfortunately, I never did love, I mean truly loved my wife.
But I did love another woman. I love her more than life itself and I would do anything for her. I wish to marry her, but I can't do so until my wife..." he paused a moment because he regretted saying the next phrase. "... dies of consumption. I know it's terrible for a man to have an affair when his wife's dying and there's no justification for doing so. Love isn't a good enough excuse and now, but even after I've said things I can never take back to my wife, I'm sorry."
Jean realized now that he did indeed long for Colette's forgiveness, but she would never give it to him. Not now, not ever, not after he yelled and screamed, not after he said that he didn't pity her. Flashes of that day still flickered in his head...
"So you... have confessed. You want me to forgive you, now. Give absolution to your soul, so that you can dance out with a clean concience and have many foreign-eyed babies with your Japanese whore and live happily ever after? You are a terrible, selfish man! And a fool, such a fool! What do you expect? Oh, no-- I know. You expect me to cry and be very angry and hurt, and then to deny you forgiveness, and then as I die, I'm sure you hope that elusive pardon will be on my lips. That would be so quaint!"
"How dare you, Nicolette Martine Gabrielle de Chantoux Jondrette," he said. "Now, I don't need your forgiveness! I wanted it, I craved for it, but now I can't nor don't want it anymore! The moment you insulted Hana was the moment that I lost all pity for you! Do you know what, I'd do it all again and not change one little detail. Do you know why? For once in my life, I made a decision and I couldn't be happier. All of my life I was a puppet, a pawn in my parents' plan, the same with you and your parents. Tell me, would you have married me if your father didn't tell you to?"*
The Marquis hated himself at the moment, he had yelled at a dying woman, telling her had lost all pity for her. That was a lie, a horrid lie, but then again he had already told so many lies, but this one was probably the worst. He needed to apologize, he needed to try to fix the mess he created. Jean still loved Hana, he did love her with all his heart, but he needed forgiveness... he was human, only human.
*Taken from the thread 'The Music Lesson'
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Post by ophelia on Dec 13, 2008 20:52:12 GMT -5
Ophelia had to hand it to herself, even her own sudden perception shocked her. Genius came and went, she assumed. Yet, that didn't stop the shock that came after the Marquis admitted it. The correct words just couldn't form. However she was pleased he had told her, whether because he thought she was trustworthy or it just couldn't stay hidden any longer. There were faint traces of betrayal in her eyes. "... How old were you when you two had to get married?"
The coup de grace, the part that made the young girl blanche, was when Jean admitted he had to wait until his current wife died of consumption. She could see why he had tried to leave the gory details out. Ophelia's heart really went out to whoever his ill wife was, because although her mind forgave the man, her conscience was unsure. Even though he looked so pleased thinking of his future before they started talking, and so full of guilt now...
Against better judgement she lashed out, "It's good you found true love... but I feel you only want her to accept your apology because she's the extra weight holding you back. Her forgiveness would allow an easy exit, so you could happily let go of the past... and her." Ophelia paused, the weight of Jean's confession suddenly hit her. This was no romantic novel, it was real and very serious. Who was she, an onlooker, to voice her opinion?
"I'm sorry about... it's... what..." she muttered incoherent words, trying to place them all together to make a sentence. It seemed her intelligence had left the first time she actually needed it. If there was another person her age whose brain left at a significant moment, she would have loved to meet him. Yet it made sense since Ophelia had never listened to something so traumatic before.
"My head is suddenly hurting..."
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 14, 2008 10:58:48 GMT -5
"It's good you found true love... but I feel you only want her to accept your apology because she's the extra weight holding you back. Her forgiveness would allow an easy exit, so you could happily let go of the past... and her."
"It may seem that way from the way I described her relationship with myself, but I feel I miscommunicated. You see, I never could truly love my wife in a romantic way, more like a friend I loved her, for she and I grew fond of one another, but I'm not sure if love and passion were ever in the mix. She was my friend, she had really been my first friend and it pains me that I have hurt her so. I can only blame myself for her pain, I had known all along she would be hurt. I can't help but feel that she may have loved me more than she let on."
Colette never really could learn how to display spousal love, it was one of the few graces she had continued to go untrained in. She had caught on in the mother-daughter love area, but as a parent it came naturally. It was by example you learned spousal love and whether or not Colette had viewed the proper ways was beyond Jean's knowledge. Did she actually fall in love?
"My head is suddenly hurting..."
"I can understand that feeling," Jean said before sipping more of his tea. It was running low and he gestured to a waiter that it was, which made the waiter run back into the kitchen to fetch the teapot. "Imagine that feeling practically every moment of every day for the past year and you've got the life I've been living. Pestering little trait, no doubt."
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Post by ophelia on Dec 21, 2008 20:43:00 GMT -5
"... I see. That would explain why, regardless of being close friends, she would be angry at you." It was a theory Ophelia liked, practically living for the books with drama and love-triangles. Yet in actuality, the antagonists weren't so evil and had their own truths. Mild pain made her head spin as the girl thought. Jean was also so calm about the whole ordeal, making her wonder how many nights he had spent in the past feeling pain over his decision.
"However, I fail to understand how you didn't fall in love with your wife after a few years of being together," she commented with eyebrows scrunched up in a strange, thoughtful expression. Even after an arranged marriage, most thought (herself included) that the couple would love each other in time. Seeing different sides to a person did that, or so Ophelia assumed. Perhaps females did fall in love too easily, the men backstage of the opera often complained about that.
"Yes... I only wish there was something I could do to help you." Watching the waiter come and go, her eyes looked back at Jean. "Mind me asking, but how does your fiancée look and act? Does she have a special trait or appearance that sets her apart from your wife? I won't bother hiding; I am wondering how deep your love is since I've never heard of a man as humble or intelligent as yourself having an affair."
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 22, 2008 16:04:22 GMT -5
"However, I fail to understand how you didn't fall in love with your wife after a few years of being together,"
"That's the issue, Ophie," said Jean, sipping the new tea the waiter brought. "This is what had happened. When I first met my wife, it was only a few months before our set wedding date and we had very little time to spend with one another considering we had the wedding to plan. Then after our marriage we spent only a year as husband and wife living together under one roof, my daughter being born about a month before I was called across the continents to Japan. I would remain there for years until business there was done. The Japanese had to be throughly convinced to do business with the Western world."
Jean remembered all those meetings, sitting like a native on the floor, with no shoes on and trying to make a business proposition in teas and spices. It was rather a strange memory, him trying to communicate through a translator and when he picked up the language, through himself. At least he got their alliance in business and they would send their famous teas and spices to France, which were selling quite well now. At least he was still financially secure, in the mental department, maybe not as much.
"But as you can see, I didn't have much time to fall in love with my wife except as a friend, making it very easy to have an affair, really. And you wouldn't think me to be so cut up about it. I'm not the man you see having an affair, Ophie, no matter what your opinion of me is."
"Yes... I only wish there was something I could do to help you. Mind me asking, but how does your fiancée look and act? Does she have a special trait or appearance that sets her apart from your wife? I won't bother hiding; I am wondering how deep your love is since I've never heard of a man as humble or intelligent as yourself having an affair."
"My fiancee?" Jean asked with a smile, a dreamy one. An image of Hana came to mind, how she looked that one evening they met and then after she had assimilated somewhat into Western culture. "She's a kind and gentle woman, wouldn't hurt a fly and busy thinking of everybody else. Once she found out about my marriage she literally wept at the thought of taking a man from his wife and child, she is not that kind of woman Ophie, not in least. Personality wise she is a lot like my wife, but features wise they are completely different.
"She Japanese, my fiancee is, I met her in Japan when she was unwilling working as a geisha. With hair black as coal, her eyes very dark and point out her homeland. Her skin is very light, as it would be and her lips are full. My wife is French, as I am, with copper hair and blue eyes, pale as well. But even if their personalities are similar, they are so different in the way they act I guess. My wife cares about social standing, being a lady and such, while my fiancee... well, she could care less. Plus we have much more in common and we both love each other, it seems too perfect..."
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Post by ophelia on Dec 24, 2008 21:49:06 GMT -5
"I-I see," Ophelia replied with some uneasiness. Truth be told, she never learned much about foreign countries, especially Japan. But now she had the sudden urge to learn what fascinated the adult beside her. It looked as though Jean had every reason to find the one he loved most, even if it was an affair in the eyes of society. Even worse, her feminine instinct told her he was probably wealthy. Poor families didn't have arranged marriages, after all.
The picture enveloped the young girl's mind and made her giggle. The love-struck look on Jean's face told her enough, although she had a habit of being easily convinced and manipulated, his smile was sincere. Although the image he gave her was different than an average French woman (which is what she assumed his wife looked like), his tone made her sound like the prettiest flower. Kind, thoughtful, intelligent, a free-thinker, exotic, and beautiful. Ophelia was so envious! She sighed dreamily, "She sounds like a lovely princess."
"I understand now, you told it all so clearly too. Though I had doubts - and I don't anymore." Her eyes turned down to gaze at the table. "I think I know what you saw in your fiancee that was different from your wife. And it does sound perfect - aside from the wife and consumption business..."
"Do you think I could meet your fiancee someday, please? She sounds so nice!" The brunette exclaimed. "Also, is there any way I could help you? I would like to meet your wife as well, someday soon."
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Post by Jean Jondrette on Dec 25, 2008 22:34:22 GMT -5
"She sounds like a lovely princess."
"She deserves everything a princess has. I would happily give her that lifestyle, God knows I can with my family's fortune behind me, but right now we can't share in such a happy lifestyle. It pains me, knowing that she deserves all that."
Hana had spent most of her life in misery, living the life of a geisha which was not a glamorous one at all. She had regaled Jean with stories of past experiences with clients and men that had made him gap at the fact she still maintained her sanity. As if in a fairy tale, he was the prince who saved her from a wicked stepmother or a dragon. She was too much like a princess, what with that kind of history with her.
"I understand now, you told it all so clearly too. Though I had doubts - and I don't anymore. I think I know what you saw in your fiancee that was different from your wife. And it does sound perfect - aside from the wife and consumption business..."
"I'm glad you understand Ophelia, I really am," Jean said with a smile. "Few people would understand, even if I did sit down with them and explain it calmly as I have with you. That really helps to be able to talk about it with an outside force, one not involved with it in anyway."
"Do you think I could meet your fiancee someday, please? She sounds so nice! Also, is there any way I could help you? I would like to meet your wife as well, someday soon."
The Marquis de Balleroy paused for the moment before answering. "Well, my fiancee you'd probably see a lot walking about on the other side of the city, whether or not if you could meet her, I don't know. If you are around the Opera a lot, we occasionally attend a show. My wife spends a lot of time near or at the Opera as well, not during a show as she must care for our daughter. Her name is Nicolette Jondrette, my fiancee, Hana Fujioka."
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