Fou d'Amour

A Christmas Special

Well, 'tis the season, it's Christmas time, you guys! To celebrate this truly festive time, I'm on Wattpad. Power to the 5 people watching this. Or more, there could be more...I don't know. Perhaps this story could blow up?

Nah, but seriously, I'm going to upload a short on the theme of Xmas. Just as a heads up, it is pretty dark. Get ready:

Adrien

"Bonne noël, Adrien."

"Où est né le divin enfa----" Maman slammed the door on the carollers faces.

"J'en ai ral le cul!"she swore. "Fucking pieces of shit they all are!"

I didn't feel too good. I didn't like it when Maman drank so much, she wasn't very nice to me...to anyone at all. She said it was all my fault, it was. Sis was so smart and good at everything. I was only good for one thing.

"Chut! Stop crying or I'll send you back there."

"Non Maman, please."this made me cry harder. She was so mean to me.

"I'm pretty sure that The Messieurs would be ecstatic to do something so terrible as to put you in nappies for the rest of your life, at least that will give you a reason to cry, Pleurnichard."she seethed.

"I'm sorry, Maman. I'm only ten."

"Ten years too many it seems."she pushed a ten euro note down my jumper.

"Gemme some cigs, I'm thirsty."

"But it's Jesus' birthday, everything is shut."

"Not everyone in Paris is Christian."

"But it's really, really cold outside."

"Look you abortion gone haywire, if you don't...get me the ciggies, I'll fuckin' impale you on the Eiffel Tower."

"Okay..."

It was freezing outside, the coldest winter in over a decade and I didn't have a coat. It hurt me. My hands hurt, my toes hurt and I was shivering like a leaf. I began crying again. Why didn't Maman like me. All the other ones did...and the fathers, they liked me a lot. Even if they did hurt me a lot.

Perhaps I could stay with one of them? They were nicer than Maman, at least they said sorry for hurting me. One of them even gave me a sweet at one point.

A lady approached me with man and two children. I didn't recognise them.

"Poor child,"said the woman, "why are you out here by yourself?"

"Maman told me to buy her cigarettes."

"Oh, how awful!"she gasped.

"Lorraine..."warned the father. "What's your name child?"

"Adrien."

"Well Adrien, you could always come around ours. We have a Christmas dinner all ready for you."

Thinking of my mother and the stale cheese sandwich in the fridge I was planning on having for lunch, I nodded.

"Joyeux Noël, Adrien."

They lived one arrondissement away---a fancy spot. Unlike my family, they put decorations up and a Christmas tree. I didn't know what it was but they told me and the idea confused me. It was very pretty. The ceiling was very high, which was nice because I could breathe. It smelt very nice there.

The dinner was so delicious, I almost cried. The children and adults were so nice to me. I thought that I would be shunned. I wasn't. Playing with kids my own age was really cool and I even got play with some of their Christmas toys.

"Adrien can be Papa."

"Non! Adrien should be the baby."

I loved being involved, even if I might be a little old for those sorts of games. I was certainly short enough to partake.

One of the best moments of my childhood followed by a whipping and being sent to The Messieurs again. Yes mother, I was a "Pleurnichard" but any child would be, after what I went through. After what you did to me.

"Adrien, Adrien!"

I snapped out of that flashback.

"Oh?"

"You alright?"

"Yeah..."

She wiped a tear from my eye.

Shit.