Oppressed

by Kira Saito

  “Bonjour.” Lucus took my hand and gave it a kiss that made my heart race.

  “Bonjour,” I whispered shyly through lowered lashes. . I felt the heat in my cheeks continue to rise as my eyes took in the contours of his face, and felt the warmth of his touch melt through my gloves.

  We started to dance to a rhythm that was rich and uniquely ours and the people around us became no more than whispering shadows as they watched us move across the floor. The moment cloaked me entirely and I relished every second of it more than I should have. Pure exhilaration filled me as I took in the intoxicating scent that emanated from his skin, the teasing expression behind his dark eyes, and the upward curves of his full lips. I was confused by the fierce emotion that had taken hold of me and desperately searched for a rational reason why I found him so utterly compelling. I struggled to remain composed for fear that Edmond would somehow pick up on my feelings and drag me away.

  A cool winter wind wafted into the room and brought with it the innocent scent of clean night air and fragrant jasmine. I could feel Eruzlie’s loving presence as she embraced us with her blessing and encouraged me to continue dancing.

  “Save me,” Lucus said unexpectedly.

  “Save you?” I snapped out of my trance and found the courage to meet his steady gaze.

  “Yes,” he nodded.

  “Save you from what?”

  “The hyena twins,” he said, as he turned my attention to two beautiful girls who wore matching pink silk ball gowns and diamond-encrusted tiaras. They stood at the far end of the dance floor with their elegantly gloved hands on their hips and observed us with narrow, tight expressions. I felt their eyes carefully appraising me from head to toe, measuring every inch of my skin. One of them turned to the other and whispered something into her ear. They both broke out in laughter as they looked at me and then at Edmond. A sense of deep degradation that I had never felt before suddenly manifested within me and I felt my body tremble uncontrollably.

  Lucus reached out and brushed away a stray lock of hair that rested on my forehead. “Is everything alright?” he gently asked.

  I smiled, let out a small giggle and mentally scolded myself for actually letting my emotions show. “I was just thinking that they look nothing alike.” Well, they didn’t. One was short and blonde, while the other was tall and brunette.

  “Oh but they act, dress, think, and laugh exactly like.”

  “Let me guess, they laugh like hyenas?”

  He nodded. “Do you see that gorgeous woman throwing disapproving glances our way?”

  “Yes.” I had noticed her.

  “That’s Maman, and she’s plotting my marriage to one of them as we speak.”

  “Really?! And I was under the impression that only women had that problem.”

  He shook his head from side to side dramatically. “I assure you us gentlemen are often placed in compromising positions as well.”

  “Hmmm, I seriously doubt that.”

  “Are you accusing me of lying?” he asked teasingly with one eyebrow raised.

  “No. Well maybe a little. Which one is she?”

  “It doesn’t matter. They come from the same family so either one will do.” His voice was quiet and had distinct sullenness to it.

  “And what do you want?” I asked.

  He gave me a knowing smile that made my knees weak but didn’t respond to my question.

  “Well, if you are forced to marry one of them you can always buy a mistress to keep you occupied on the side,” I said sarcastically. I was surprised at how bitter and completely unrefined those words sounded when I said them out loud. The moment I said them I regretted it. What if he already had a mistress? In New Orleans, most wealthy Creole men secured placées when they were young. Why was I wasting my time thinking about whether he had a placée or not? Did I want to be his placée? No.

  He laughed a deep, genuine laugh and I immediately felt at ease and forgot about my little outburst. “If all mistresses were like you I’d buy a hundred. One for every room in the house.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Charming.”

  “Why, merci. Now follow my lead.”

  “Where are you leading me to?”

  “My favorite oak.”

  “Your favorite oak?”

  He nodded.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I can’t exactly follow you to your favorite oak.” I glanced at Edmond, who was still in conversation with Jacques.

  “Yes you can.” He swirled me to the back of the ballroom and towards a door.

  “We can’t go outside!” A million thoughts ran through my head. Edmond, tricky spirits, and what others would think; but one look at his eager, pleading expression and all sense of reason went out the ballroom. I hadn’t felt this alive since the night before I had met Edmond. “Alright- but just for a moment.”

  “Wait here,” he said. He left me and headed towards the table. I watched him as he quickly grabbed a handful of pralines and a bottle of Champagne Charlie.

  For the first time in a long time my face broke out a wide grin but the only difference was it wasn’t fake. I felt some of the spirit I had lost over the past few months slowly seeping back into my pores and gave thanks to the loa for not abandoning me after all.

  “Shall we?” Lucus extended his arm. I quickly glanced around the ballroom and noted that Edmond had his back turned to us.

  I took a deep breath and took his arm. “Oui.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dinclusin and Chalotte

  Darkwood Plantation

  A few miles outside of New Orleans, 1852

  The cool winter wind sent shivers down my spine and goose bumps up my bare arms, yet I savored every second of it. I closed my eyes and inhaled the haunting night air, which was thick with the sweet and melancholy scent of chrysanthemums and camellias. The moon illuminated our path as we happily meandered through a maze of regal oaks. For a moment I panicked and realized that I was walking through a forest with a complete stranger who was more than capable of strangling me and throwing me into the nearby swamp. My worries immediately vanished when Lucus wrapped his waistcoat around me protectively. I felt safe. Safer than I felt in my own home.

  A fierce rush of liberation suddenly streamed through me and I extended my arms, looked up at the beautiful inky sky with its endless sea of twinkling stars, and started to laugh like a maniac. I laughed and laughed without completely understanding why I was laughing. I felt as if I could finally breathe again. I felt alive and re-awakened so I continued to laugh and spun around and around like I had done so many times in Congo Square. In the distance I could hear the low rhythm of drums beating and I knew there was another Queen close by. I moved my feet, shook my hips and spontaneously grabbed Lucus’ hand. He tried to imitate my moves but he couldn’t keep up and watching him trying to dance to the rhythm of the drums was hilarious and made me laugh even harder. Eventually he gave up and leaned against an oak to catch his breath.

  “Quitter!” I teased.

  After my little performance came to an end I cleared my throat and looked at a very amused Lucus who stood and observed me with a serene smile on his face.

  I simply stared at him for a few moments. “Thank you,” I said.

  His smile widened. “You’re thanking me for…?”

  There were no words I could use to express how I felt. “Thank you for wanting to show me your favorite oak,” I said stupidly.

  He pulled me close to him so close that I could feel the heat from his body and the whiskey on his breath. “I have a confession to make,” he whispered dramatically. “I don’t have a favorite oak.”

  “Then why did you bring me out here?” I asked. My voice unwillingly trembled.

  He held up the bottle of champagne. “To drink champagne and eat pralines with you in peace without the prying eyes of the hyena twins or your protector, who by the way is doing a terrible job of protecting you.”

  I scoffed in an Edmond-type manner at his arrogance
while all the while my insides were melting. “And you think you could do a better job of protecting me?”

  “No.” He pulled backed and popped open the bottle. “I don’t think I can. I know I can.”

  I sighed dramatically, grabbed the bottle out of his hand and took several very large swigs. “You Creole men. So passionate! So tortured!”

  Lucus grabbed me by the waist and took my free hand into his. “What is life without passion, love, and some emotional torture thrown in for good measure?” he asked, as he spun me around. “Besides, it’s you Creole women that drive us to madness. Your mere presence is already driving me to insanity.”

  I backed away from him, crossed my arms, and pretended to be very offended. “And why is that?”

  “Because I know my cousin isn’t worthy of you, yet I cannot do a single thing about it. Except challenge him to a duel, of course, but then one of us would end up dead and Maman would personally kill the one that lives for bringing scandal to the family.”

  I placed my hand over my heart. “You would challenge your dear cousin to a duel over me? I’m flattered, but I can take care of myself,” I said, as I thought back to this morning’s conversation I had with Tante Celeste. I gave him a large goofy champagne-and-absinthe-infused grin and batted my eyelashes. “But thank you for your offer.”

  “I…”

  “Shhh.” I pressed my finger up against his lips and focused on the soft murmurs that were coming from beyond the oaks. “The spirits,” I said shyly and somewhat tensely.

  “And what are the spirits asking of us tonight?”

  His question and ease caught me slightly off-guard. “You really care about the spirits?” I asked, as I let out a silent sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to accuse me of being a savage.

  “What is life without spirit?” His eyes shimmered in genuine excitement.

  I smiled and listened carefully and heard two voices speaking in French. Not Creole French, but perfect French as they spoke in France.

  “Dinclusin, you invite me to a party, yet you don’t know where it is! I don’t know why I put up with you. Why last week, Congo proposed to me. I should have accepted his offer,” said an elegant, clear female voice.

  “Ahh, Chalotte, you know that you’ll never be happy with Congo. Your heart belongs to me, you stubborn spirit,” responded a gruff male voice.

  “It’s Dinclusin and Chalotte. They’re French les mysteries who have a rather complex relationship,” I said.

  “How complex exactly?” asked Lucus.

  “She’s really spoiled and he’s a notorious kleptomaniac. They’re an odd match but despite their differences they always find their way back to one another. She’s demanding and stubborn. When she gets close to humans she always demands that they give her a present, usually a piece of clothing or jewelry. If they refuse, Dinclusin simply steals it for her. But they’re also sympathetic to couples who have been unfairly torn apart.” I heard their footsteps coming closer and I instinctively knew that it wasn’t the best idea staying there, even though I wanted the moment to stretch on for eternity and dreaded the fact that I would have to go back to Edmond. “I don’t think it’s safe that we stay here. Who knows what they’ll ask of us.”

  Lucus nodded in agreement but before we could turn around they appeared and I stopped dead in my tracks.

  “They’re here,” I whispered.

  “Where?” asked Lucus as he blinked several times in an attempt to see the spirits.

  “Right beside you.”

  Chalotte was simply stunning with her green silk and silver cut gown and flaxen hair that shone like spun gold. Around her neck hung layers and layers of necklaces adorned with precious jewels of all kinds. She instantly set her big blue eyes on Lucus and I knew what she wanted. Next to her stood the very muscular and equally alluring Dinclusin, who, with his innocent baby blue eyes and dimples, didn’t appear to be a notorious kleptomaniac.

  “Well what do we have here?” Dinclusin’s eyes rested on my diamond necklace.

  Chalotte placed her arms around Lucus’ shoulders. “Dunclusin, I want him!” she huffed.

  “Chalotte, be reasonable! He’s too heavy to carry.”

  “If you love me you’ll do it!” Chalotte stomped her feet. “He’s not too heavy! You’re just lazy! We can keep him in our garden. We do need a new statue and he’s so very handsome,” she purred as she gave Lucus’ right cheek a little lick.

  “What the?” Lucus brought his hand to his face and wiped away the streak of saliva the lick had left behind.

  I stood paralyzed, glancing from one spirit to the other as they spoke, wondering how I could possibly reason with them.

  “Hmmm.” Dinclusin poked Lucus’ stomach, tugged on his ear, and sniffed his hair. He walked around him and inspected him from head to toe. “You’re right, Chalotte, he would make a fine addition to the main garden.”

  Lucus was still as the inspection continued and the spirits continued to discuss if Lucus would look better next to the Cherub statue or the Venus fountain.

  “Wait, you can’t steal him.” I stepped forward and tried to reason with them.

  “They want to steal me?” Lucus asked.

  I nodded.

  Chalotte’s large eyes moved over me. “Dinclusin! I want her too! I want both of them together! They belong together! I’m tired of those ancient bronze statues of Paolo and Francesca; I need something new! ”

  Dinclusin moved away from Lucus and towards me. He pinched my cheeks, pulled at my lower lip and poked my ribs. “You’re right, my beautiful Chalotte.”

  I was outraged. “You can’t steal us!” I shouted, as I slapped away Dinclusin’s beefy hand.

  Dinclusin crossed his arms in defiance; his eyes were full of fire and challenge. “And why is that?”

  “We’re human. You can’t steal our lives. It’s not right!”

  Chalotte and Dinclusin started to laugh and laugh. Their laughter prompted the oaks to shake and dead leaves to swirl dramatically around us. Birds started to cry in the background and the hiss of lethal snakes became deafening.

  “What’s so funny?” I demanded.

  “If you humans can steal one another’s lives, then why can’t we spirits steal yours as well?”

  “We don’t steal one another’s lives,” I whispered slowly and rather unconvincingly.

  At my response the spirits continued to laugh. Dinclusin scooped me off the ground and placed me under his arm. “Let me go!” I screamed.

  “Cecile!” Lucus tried to step towards me but Chalotte’s grip was too forceful; after all, she was an almighty spirit.

  Chalotte pushed Lucus towards Dinclusin, who lifted him up off the ground with ease and placed him under his other arm.

  I glanced over at Lucus and felt the need to apologize. “I’m sorry. These things always tend to happen around me. Sometimes it’s a curse. Sometimes it’s a blessing, but it’s always interesting.”

  Lucus’ eyes were filled with astonishment as we hung suspended in mid-air. His mouth twitched and when he looked at me he simply stared for a few moments as if he couldn’t find the perfect words to describe the moment. I held my breath and waited for him to shout “you heathen!” because that seemed to be everyone’s initial reaction, but to my surprise he extended his hand for me to take. “We’re ALIVE!!!!” he shouted spontaneously. “We’re ALIVE! LA VIE EST BELLE!!!”

  He squeezed my hand and his energy filled me with relief and hope and despite my fear I started to laugh uncontrollably. “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs through my laughter. I surrendered to the sheer wonder of the moment and soon I found myself finally understanding Bade’s words: life can never be truly be bought or sold.

  “What’s so funny?!” demanded Chalotte.

  “We’re alive!” I informed her. “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!”

  “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!” Lucus shouted again.

  “LA VIE EST BELLE!!!” We screamed over and over again.
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br />   “Dinclusin!” she screamed. “Put them down! Put them down now!”

  Dinclusin obeyed and released us. We fell with a thud and landed on the muddy earth.

  “I want what they have. I want to feel the way they do. Steal it for me. Steal that feeling.”

  “Give me your feelings,” demanded Dinclusin.

  I leapt up from the ground and took Chalotte’s delicate hand into mine and twirled her around. “My lovely Chalotte, this feeling cannot be bought.”

  Her lips quivered, she cocked her head slightly to the right and stared at me as if I were telling blasphemous lies. “You’re lying,” she said after a long pause.

  “No I’m not. I’m perfectly serious.”

  “I’m not leaving until you give it to me!” she pouted.

  “Look, you were on your way to a party, weren’t you?” I asked, recalling the spirits’ earlier conversation.

  “Yes,” she said slowly. “We heard that there’s a party close by with lots of finely dressed people and lots of jewels.” Her eyes shone brilliantly when she said the word jewels.

  “If you follow that path down there,” I pointed at a clearing, “It will take you to the party. But instead of spending the night stealing jewels, spend the night dancing with Dinclusin.”

  “Dancing with Dinclusin! Why would I want to do that?!” she sneered at my suggestion.

  “You love him, don’t you?”

  She silently eyed Dinclusin.

  Dinclusin stepped forward and I stepped back and cast a shy sideways glance at Lucus. His hand found mine and my toes curled. “What are they saying?” he whispered.

  Dinclusin’s eyes were filled with desperate hope. “You love me, non?” he asked Chalotte as he took her hand into his.