Chapter 1: Cosette

† Thursday, November 9, 2023.

Standing on the sidewalk, shivering, terrified, 10-year-old Cosette Garnier is watching her house burn. Flickering light from the flames plays across her wet face and glistens in her tearful eyes. Snowflakes are sticking in her wavy blonde-brown shoulder length hair. At her feet sits a worn and stained stuffed bunny, incongruous for a child of her age.

Behind Cosette stands her mother, Sylvie. Both Garniers show signs of having dressed hurriedly and rushing outside while their home was catching fire. Behind them is a limp garbage bag holding some important records and a couple of photo albums. Sylvie also carries an old laptop computer.

They were standing in front of their neighbor Julie Kaiser’s house while fire trucks blocked their little street in front of their soon-to-be ex-home. Some of the firefighters played their hoses on the fires, trying to save as much of the structure as they could. Limited to their truck’s thousand-gallon onboard tank, the crew could do little to slow down the fire’s progression.

A second group of firefighters monitored the next property, where the scattered remains of another house burned behind a geyser from a former hydrant. That house had been blown to pieces.

More crews and apparatus (trucks) were en route, bringing enough hose line so the next closest hydrant could be used. More water would not save Cosette’s burning house, but the chief wanted to prevent any further spread.

It was obvious that a massive explosion had utterly destroyed the Plackett house at 1 Hardwood Court. Flaming debris from the blast caused the Garnier’s place at Number 3 to ignite. Fortunately, Julie Kaiser’s house at Number 5 was undamaged.

Julie approached the duo and kneeled in front of her little neighbor.

“Cosette? Are you...”

Cosette began to cry harder and pointed at her ear with her free hand.

“Hurts!”

“Of course, the explosion has damaged her hearing, and it’s also really noisy out here. Charades, then.”

Julie put her hand on the girl’s shoulder reassuringly and returned to her feet. She gestured, drawing a circle around the two Garniers, then hugged herself, and then she pointed to her front door. Finally, she clasped her hands together, as if to say, “Please.”

Cosette recognized what Julie “said” and nodded. She took her mother’s hand, tugging her towards Julie’s door, and the three of them trooped down Number 5’s front walk. Sylvie tried to drop the wet garbage bag out on the porch, but Julie shook her head and required her to bring the bag inside.

Shutting the heavy front door, Julie guided them to her kitchen table. (The wet bag was left in a corner on the tiled floor.)

She spoke with her voice focused and clear, “It’s quieter inside. Can you hear me now?”

“I can,” they answered at the same time. Not hearing their own voices well, they answered loudly, and Julie winced.

“Softer, please. My friends, you know this is my house and I live here by myself. I have plenty of space; you have to stay here with me tonight, I insist!”

“Thank you, Julie, we accept!”

“I need to ask, is Theo alright? Shouldn’t he be here with you?”

“Um, Theo is away, it’s just us two, Julie.”

“OK, then, Cosette, would you like your own room, or do you want to stay with mom tonight?”

“Mom? For tonight?”

“Yes, Sette, stay with me, sure.”

“All right, OK. The guest suite is down that hallway on the right. There’s a bathroom attached with towels, toothbrushes, and so on. There are fresh linens on the queen-size bed, so you’ll be comfortable. I’m in the master on the left if you need me later.

“I’m going to turn up the furnace, so you’ll be more comfortable. Would you like tea, coffee, or cocoa?”

“Cocoa, please, Julie.”

“Sure, sweetie. Would you like to help me in the kitchen? Good, thanks. What about you, Sylvie?”

“Tonight, I think, caffeine is a mistake. Maybe some herbal tea? Sette knows what I like.”