Wishing That You Would Be Here

Chapter 9- The Thing That Separated Us

*Christine*

TWO YEARS LATER

Two years have passed for me and I am now 11 years and a few months old. It is the middle of January. The past two years were the most peaceful years of my so far life. I was living with my papa in the beautiful painted caravan and we were travelling with the gypsy camp and their fair. Papa has gotten better with his health and we were happy. The past two years weren't the best because of Papa and I traveling with the gypsies, but because of my angel, my Erik. We visited each other each night and we were the best of friends.

Although we have been friends for over two years, Erik still didn't want to show me his face. Each time he and I met, he had a sack over his head and the only thing I could see were his beautiful golden eyes. One evening we met and we talked about what happened before we met each other. I told him everything. I told him about how I lived with papa in Sweden, how we started traveling, how we got a job on the fair, and how papa started getting sick.

"And how about you?" I asked him softly after I finished my story. He stayed silent as always when he wanted to keep a secret from me.

"Oh Ch-Christine...I-I d-don't want to tell you...I-I am worried t-that i-it w-would m-make you sad..." He said, his voice trembling in between tears.

"Erik, I am so sorry for making you cry. I know that I am annoying to ask you about the sad parts of your life. I should go..." I started to leave.

"Please don't." He whispered. "Please don't leave me alone." It was just like that night when I for the first time wandered to his treshhold and when I first heard his voice.

"Erik." I turned around to see him reaching out to me from behind the black painted iron bars.

I gave him my hand with the promise that I will return soon and that I won't leave him completely alone. He must have smiled underneath the sack and let go of my hand. I ran to our caravan through the snow to see a bunch of gypsies crowded around our caravan. I ran through the crowd and into the caravan.

There I saw my papa laying on his bed and a doctor by his side. I knew that he was sick, but I didn't realize how bad it was.

"Papa!" I ran to him, taking his hand in mine and ensuring him that I was here.

"Christine...I couldn't go up there without seeing you for the last time."

"Up there? Papa, please don't leave me!" I cried.

"It's alright sweetie. I won't leave you alone. When I go up there, I will ask them to send you the Angel of Music and he will take care of you instead of me."

"No, papa! Please don't!" I pleaded.

He looked at me with his caring eyes and said, "Please, remain happy as you were until now." Then, his eyes closed and his hand lost all strength.

I wept over him the whole night. In the morning, they took his white, dead body away and I waved at him for the very last time. A pretty gypsy lady then came to the caravan. She introduced herself as Maurine. "I am the teacher of the dance girls here and I also take care of the children of the performers which don't have time for them. I will take you to the tent where all the dancers are and you will take lessons with them when you are old enough for it."

I nodded and went with her. She showed me a place where I would sleep with the other dancers and she introduced me to the dancers. She wanted to see how well I could dance, so I showed her and she said I was a very good dancer and put me into the group of dancers who were about one or two years older than me. We had to go to sleep early and they locked the caravan where we slept.

I found that out when I wanted to wander out to meet Erik. I then realized that I won't be able to meet him at all. The dancers were practicing the whole day until they went to sleep, only having break for lunch and an hour in the afternoon. I couldn't go to my angel in the day,because they would see me. I sank down to my knees and tears started dropping down my cheeks. I have lost the two most important people in my life and I couldn't do anything about it.