A Promise

Chapter Sixteen

        I wrung my hands nervously as I stood amongst a vast crowd of people in the town square. In a very short time, I would be standing in front of these people, delivering a speech that I had not prepared for. I raked my brain for something, anything, to say, but no words came to me. Sighing in defeat, I turned my attention to Enjolras, who was delivering a passionate speech to the crowd.

        "People of France," he cried, his voice ringing with fiery passion, "the time has come to decide who we are as a nation. Are we a people who will just stand here and watch as the poor continues to suffer on a daily basis? Are we a people who will allow the government to walk all over us? Or are we a people who will fight for our rights, a people who will fight for the poor? Ask yourselves these questions. Look around you. The poor live in terrible conditions, and the government is doing absolutely nothing to help them. Instead, they selfishly turn a blind eye and continue to eat, drink, and be merry without any consideration for the starvation and suffering of the poor. The continue to ignore the fact that thousands of people are without food or shelter My dear friend Eponine, who until very recently lived in these conditions, is here to tell you about the terrible blows poverty dealt her."

        My throat immediately went dry. "Good luck," Courfeyrac whispered to me. I gave him a grateful smile and slowly made my way to the front of the crowd. As I passed Enjolras, he caught my arm and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "Keep your eyes on me. Pretend your talking to me and me alone." I nodded and turned to face the crowd.

        Before I could even open my mouth, a bourgeois with jet-black hair and a large nose pointed at me. "I know you!" he said loudly. "You're that Thenardier girl! You're a dirty little thief!"

        I froze. All eyes were upon me. I wanted to run, but my legs were shaking so much that I could barely take a step. What would I do if the crowd turned on me and brought me to the police? The idea was too horrible to imagine. For a long moment, everyone merely stared at me. I held my breath, my palms sweating. Finally, an old bourgeois woman with wise, kind eyes stepped forward. "Let the child speak," the woman said. "Let us hear what she has to say." To my great surprise, the majority of the crowd murmured in agreement.

        "Fine," the black-haired man snapped with a huff. "You can stay and listen to her, but I refuse to stand here while that filthy little brat speaks!" He stomped off, holding his head high in a pompous manner. At that moment, I noticed Grantaire standing at the back of the crowd, a satisfied grin forming on his face as the black-haired man walked away. I turned away from him quickly and met Enjolras' eyes. He gave me an encouraging smile. It's okay, he mouthed. I took a deep breath and kept my eyes focused on Enjolras. The rest of the crowd disappeared from my mind as I thought only of him. Gradually, my confidence rose, and I began to speak.

        "That man was right," I said loudly. "I am 'that Thenardier girl.' And I was once indeed a 'dirty little thief.' But I am also a person who, deep inside, has always wanted to do something good in this world, and this is my chance." Enjolras nodded approvingly. Keep going, he mouthed.

        "I was born into a family with no wealth, no riches. My parents were innkeepers, but their inn was not very prosperous. Every day, we wondered where our next meal was going to come from. I sometimes went for days without eating. There was an eternal ache of hunger in the pit of my stomach that was never satisfied. When winter came, I had no warm clothes to wear. I sometimes wondered if I would freeze to death. My parents became desperate for money, and that desperation destroyed them. They became greedy and selfish. They stole as much as they could get their hands on, and my father started a gang in order to help him earn more money. As a little girl, I watched as poverty turned my parents into greedy monsters. Gradually, my concept of right and wrong became twisted and confused. I would walk out into the streets and beg passers-by for just a scrap of food, but they would ignore me, treating me like the dirt beneath their feet. Slowly, I learned that begging would not provide food for me. I thought that the only way to survive was through theft, and so I began to steal. My conscience slowly faded away until I believed that the only choice I had was to steal. Poverty took away my innocence and turned me into someone I was not. The only reason that I stand here today, trying to make amends for the terrible things poverty drove me to do, is because of the great mercy Enjolras and his friends showed me. Through their compassion and charity, they showed me that I don't need to steal to survive. They showed me that I can be a better person, and for that I am eternally grateful." I paused and looked over at Grantaire, staring directly into his eyes. "I did a lot of things in my past that I am not proud of, and I wish I could take them back. I hurt a lot of people, and I wish I could erase the pain I caused. I am truly sorry for the things I did in my desperation to survive, and I hope I can start anew." Grantaire stood absolutely still. I could not read the expression on his face. I turned back to Enjolras, who was beaming with pride. He gave me another encouraging smile, and I turned to face the crowd. "I was given the chance to change my life because of the mercy of those who were better off that me. However, there are other people just like me, who are extremely poor and desperate for money. They, too, need someone who will show them compassion and help them start life anew. The government refuses to help the poor rise above their situation, so it's up to you to show them mercy. It's up to you to change their lives."

        I finished my speech with my head held high, my voice ringing with emotion. For a second, there was complete silence as the crowd contemplated my words. And then, something like a miracle happened. The entire crowd began to cheer for me. I smiled more widely than I ever had before. I felt elated and confident. My speech had actually worked! I couldn't believe it. Enjolras ran up to me, beaming.

        "That was beautiful, Ep!" he said excitedly, taking my hands in his. "I told you I believed in you."

        I don't know what made me do what I did next. Maybe it was the elation and confidence I was feeling as a result of my speech. Maybe I was following an instinct. Maybe I had wanted to do it ever since I had met Enjolras, but only had the courage to do it now. Whatever the reason for it was, I did it without hesitation.

        "I believe in something, too," I told him with a bold grin.

        "And what's that?" Enjolras asked.

        I smiled and put my arms around his neck. Without caring that we were in public in front of a huge crowd of people, I raised my lips to meet his.

        The minute our lips met, my heart began to race. For a second, his body froze in surprise, then he pulled me closer to him and kissed me back. His lips were soft and warm and fit perfectly against mine. I felt his heart beating against my chest, in sync with mine. Everything about the moment was perfect. When we finally broke apart, I stared up into his eyes and he stared down into mine. We were both grinning like maniacs. "I believe in love," I said simply.

        "Good," Enjolras said. "I do too. And I believe that I love you." Then he kissed me again, softly at first and then more urgently. I was faintly aware of the fact the the crowd was cheering, and Jehan was jumping up and down in the air in celebration. I smiled as we kissed, caught up in the moment.

        And then, without warning, the moment ended.

        "Hey!" a loud, familiar voice yelled. "You're Eponine Thenardier!"

        I broke apart from Enjolras and turned toward the source of the voice. My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach. Before me stood the young policeman with the bushy mustache. He was the same policeman who had tried to arrest Musichetta in place of me. Behind him stood the black-haired bourgeois with the large nose who had refused to hear my speech. My throat went dry.

        "Eponine Thenardier, you are under arrest."