c'est moi, Cosette

Harry, our tour guide in Paris, taught us about the French Revolution, which made my mom reconsider letting us watch Les Miserables. We watched it together (with some fast-forwarding) and it was Les Incredible! So, we came up with a creative writing assignment, and soon I will no longer be Harper. I will be Cosette, one of the main characters in Les Miserables. 

Bonjour, ça va? I am Cosette, and I am absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance. I grew up during the French Revolution, a difficult time to be alive. My mother, Fantine, was simply an amazing person, and I am so glad she was my mother. My father left her right after I was born, so she was struggling to make money and sent me to live with innkeepers. I feel so guilty that she was working so hard, all for me. She worked at the factory Jean Valjean owned, and after the manager fired her for no reason, she did AWFUL things in order to support me. 

Unfortunately (though not surprisingly), I had a terrible childhood with the innkeepers. All of the money that my mother was sending them – they barely used a penny of it for me. The innkeepers used all of the money for themselves and their snobby daughter, Eponine. They were awful! I was treated more like a maid than anything else. They were horrible people who stole everything. I even saw them rip off a false leg! Jean Valjean saved me from this cruel life, thankfully. 

Jean Vajean is truly a saint who saved me from the innkeepers, but he, too, had a tortuous life. He was formerly a prisoner, and his number was 24601. The outrageous part was that he served 20 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread! After he was released, a kind, forgiving priest gave him a second chance. Jean Valjean disappeared and then became a mayor and a devout Catholic. Javier, the head officer where Jean Valjean was imprisoned, never stopped searching for Jean Valjean until the day he died, believing that he did not deserve a second chance and belonged back in jail. Jean Valjean promised my mother that he would look after me. He has always kept his promise, even though we were always on the run.

And then there’s Marius. Oh, Marius. *Swoon* I saw my true love first on the gritty streets of Paris; It was love at first sight. Soon afterwards, Marius went off to fight in the Resistance. I wasn’t sure if I would ever see him again! Thankfully, Jean Valjean knew that we were in love, and went to rescue him from the barricades. After all of THAT trauma, I got to marry mon amour, which was the happiest day of my life. But it was also the saddest days of my life, as Jean Valjean passed on my wedding night.

I have had a difficult life, but everything now is “happily ever after.” Fantine and Jean Valjean are in a better place, although I miss them terribly. I am with Marius, so we are all fine. All of these wonderful people have healed the dark spots in my past. 

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OK, Harper is officially back! I really enjoyed writing this piece, but I have to admit that I loved the movie even more! You HAVE to watch this movie. LA FIN!