[TWWM] Those Connected by Fate

Location: France

Cosette had been born in the year 1830, to a lower-class couple somewhere in France. She had grown up in blissful ignorance of their financial struggles. "A child should be free to be a child," he would argue, "let her have another year of peace, she doesn't need to know about this struggle." Her parents did everything they could for her, providing her with anything she needed, she was joyful, and grateful, and as she became older, she began to see the sacrifices they had made. Dresses and birthday parties that should of been out of budget for them had been showered on her, she hid her questions, afraid of causing more pain. As she matured though she declined such lavish gifts, asking instead to please have less flair, and more time helping them with the odd jobs they were blessed to find. Her father worked harder than any man she knew, he was a powerhouse of determination and strength. She admired him for his tenacity and his unending desire to provide a good life for her and her mother. It wasn't easy though. Their money troubles became apparent to her when she was 13, and her mother's failing health required yet another visit from the doctor. She was a beautiful woman who tried her best to do all that she could, but she hid the toll it took on her frail body. Weak and thin, her hands shook as she tried to finish an order for hand-embroidered kerchiefs. Cosette prayed for her parents, but their journey was far from over. Her father took on more and more jobs to try to pay the doctor's costs, which increased as well as her mother's health continued to fail.

At 16, under heavy debt from many already, the unimaginable pain of having to bury his own wife seemed to crush her father. Grief echoed in their home for two weeks, threatening to end them entirely. Cosette had never felt such a pain, and the toll it took on her father hurt her even more. It seemed that all had been lost, no money, no mother, no future. One morning however, her father burst into the kitchen with tears streaming down his face. He hugged her tightly and told her that all would be well. He'd had a dream that night, her mother had come to him with love, kissing him as she had long ago, and telling him she was in heaven. She'd smiled cryptically at him, winking, and saying that there were endless vineyards beyond this pain, and that he shouldn't give up. "My journey has ended," she'd whispered softly, "yours must go on, but someday, meet me here in the vineyard..."

The sudden shift surprised Cosette, but his energy and joy was intoxicating. She didn't doubt him for a second as he rambled on about the dream, about the future, about what lie over the horizon. She silently thanked her mother for helping him.  

Over the next several years, he took on more debt and purchased a run down old vineyard at the edge of town. Joy overwhelmed him as he dreamed of the vines, heavy with grapes, lush and green. Cosette was old enough to help, and help she did. She smiled at the callouses on her hands as she studied by candlelight in the evening. Being able to help was the most amazing feeling she'd known, and watching as the dead and dry rows of kindling were replaced by vibrant shoots was inexplainable. She'd never been so happy. They cared for the vineyard with every fiber of their being, willing it to thrive, and thrive it did. In record time the vines were producing fruit, plump and beautiful, to be sold to the winery with the highest bid. The grapes seemed infused with the joy they'd felt, growing quickly and selling well.

As the vines grew, their debts shrank, and Cosette and her father lived in happiness. 

...

The year Cosette turned 19, her father's health took a turn for the worse. The doctors spoke of muscle failure and over-extension, they whispered about his heart in hushed tones when they thought she wasn't listening. She felt grief again for the first time since her mother's death, and she prayed that Got not take her father yet. Her father brushed it all off. "Its only a cold, I'm just tired." he'd say, coughing roughly into his sleeve before plunging back into the vines, hefting massive boxes of grapes over his head. "See? Fit as a fiddle!" he'd joke, darting up the hill to the waiting buyers. Cosette laughed, but inside she worried for him. He had spent his entire life working harder than anyone, and she knew that had to be taking a toll. 

...

The next summer, her friends had been excitedly chattering about a huge masquerade ball being thrown by one of the city's elites. Cosette was shy and had avoided the topic for quite a while, but her father caught wind and encouraged her to go. "Go on with your friends Cosette, you've been working so hard, you deserve to have some fun!"
"Oh father, Thank you, but I don't know... I have no idea what to expect, or what it will be like... I'm..."
He interrupted her with a hug, "It will be lovely, and you deserve a party. Take this," he said, pressing his wallet into her hand, "take it into town with your friends and pick a dress and mask. I haven't given you a gift or a birthday party since..." a sad silence crept into the air for a moment as they remembered her mother's passing.
"I know father, its alright! This place is a gift, the vineyard is..."
"I know what you mean, but this is different. You're a grown woman, you deserve to go out for some fun, meet new people, see what a real party is like."
She wanted to protest, but the happiness in his eyes at the thought dissuaded her from arguing further. She felt shy about it, but she had a feeling it might be fun after-all. She'd thanked him and left to meet her friends in town.

They had spent all day shopping, Cosette was loathe to spend her father's money on such frivolities, but the excitement of the day, along with his encouraging words that morning finally helped her relax, and she selected a dress, and finally a mask. It took her the longest to pick a mask because none of them seemed to fit her style. She was becoming disheartened about the quest when she'd finally found it. It was a beautiful bronze mask with intricately shaped feathers reaching up both sides. White feathers burst from both sides, like snow-lit wings. It sparkled and shimmered, the bronze casting a warm red glow about it. She'd fallen in love with the mask, and eagerly wore it to the party.

That night had been magical for her. She danced and spun across the dance-floor. There were foods and drink there that she'd never seen before, and new friends around every corner. She was shyly introduced to a few young men, eager to meet the lovely ladies that twirled about the room like blossoms on the wind. Some of her friends were surprised to see her there, but happy that she came.
"Oh Cosette! I'm so glad you made it! Where did you find such a lovely mask!?" they chirped,
"Thank you so much! It was sort of hidden, in a shop in town! I can't wait to show my father, he's always loved metalworking you know."
"Oh yes! He made that lovely sign for your little vineyard didn't he?"
"Yes! It surprised me because I didn't know he was artistic at all!"
They laughed, "He's such a workaholic, but he has a delicate side after-all doesn't he?!" The girls laughed and chatted, inspecting each other's gowns and masks and chirping about potential suitors they'd been speaking with.  Cosette laughed, joking with the girls as a servant approached them.
"Excuse me Ma'am, If I could have a word."
She was confused, had she done something wrong? "Oh...yes, of course." she said, curtsying to him before letting him lead her from the dance floor. 

He led her to a quiet hall adjacent to the ballroom and handed her a telegram. She gently removed the mask in order to read it better, and her heart fell as she scanned the slip of paper. A silence filled the hall, seeming to swallow her whole. A silence broken only by the clatter of her mask hitting the floor. She didn't notice. "I...Can I..." she stammered, choking on her words.
"Yes of course Mademoiselle, follow me."

The man led her through the house, towards the back entrance where a carriage was already waiting for her. A maid stood by the door, watching, worry creasing her brow. She called after Cosette, "I hope he's alright love!"
The man snapped the door shut and the horses were off, leaving Cosette to sit in silence, clutching the note between shaking hands. 

Her father had collapsed, and doctors had been called. The note said nothing more, but she could only fear the worst. The ride home seemed unbearably long, the moonlight painting the countryside with eerie greys and blues as they bumped along. When they arrived at the gate she rushed through, sprinting up the hill and into the house. She found her father in his room, breathing shallowly, several doctors bent over him.

"Father!" she cried, tears in her eyes.
"Oh Cosette, I asked them not to disturb you at the party, they just..."
"Oh Father, why! You know I'd rather help you! What happened?" She knelt by the bed and grasped his hand tightly. His grip was weak, he felt thinner than he should.
"Its nothing my love, its nothing." he whispered before coughing roughly.
"It isn't nothing Father, please tell me the truth!" she cried, "You can't protect me from the truth if thats all we have Father, whats wrong?"
He winced, his breath catching for a moment. The doctors touched his face and shifted his arm around silently, ignoring Cosette. Finally, he nodded at the doctor nearest him, motioning for him to tell Cosette the truth. The doctor was tall and stood sideways as he felt her father's pulse in his arm.
"Your father is not well my dear, he's been quite ill for some time. I've just seen him tonight, so I don't know how long, but he is deteriorating rapidly. His body is failing in many areas, his muscles, his heart, his lungs, he's just not well at all."
Cosette sat in stunned silence for a moment before continuing. "What can we do? How do we heal him?"
The doctors paused, looking at eachother for a moment before meeting her gaze. "I'm ... sorry my dear, there isn't much that can be done. He needs to rest, thats all we can do. Just rest and pray something changes. If he had rested a year, two years...five years ago, perhaps it wouldn't of gotten this bad..." they glanced at the weakened man on the bed.
Cosette was speechless, fear and worry gripped her. "Father... I... Did you know? Did you know you should of rested? Father! I could of helped more! I could of done more, you should of ..."
He waved his hand, dismissing the thought. His voice was low and soft. "Oh Cosette. This is my journey. I wanted the vineyard your mother asked for. I wanted to work hard, to repay all debts. Look how close I got." he waved his hand at the walls around them. "I did it, I gave you the home she wanted you to have, I had a good life. The debts we do have aren't much, I can rest for a bit and then we'll be back on track." he smiled weakly at her, ignoring the Doctor's pained grimaces. They knew he wouldn't recover, he was just putting on a brave face for his daughter.

Cosette gripped his arm, staring into his eyes. "You heal father. You heal. I will take care of everything. Just tell me how."

- - -

...

For the next two years, Cosette was either by her father's bedside, or in the fields. She took notes, asked him everything, and carried the knowledge he gave her into the vineyard. She hefted barrels and pulled weeds, she trimmed the vines and completed the harvest herself. She did her best, but she was only one girl. They couldn't afford to hire help, and the debt started to grow again. The vines seemed to sense the tension, the fear and worry that lived in that house seemed to creep into the soil. The harvest the first year was meager, the vines seemed tired and weak, like her father. The second year, they seemed the same, but Cosette wasn't giving up. During talk with her friends one night, she had an idea. She scaled the stairs to her fathers room to speak to him about it.

"Father, there is a study course available, that could save the vineyard. It could teach me what I need to know, how to make the vines thrive, how to take care of everything like I want to. Its expensive Papa, but I feel it might be the last chance to save everything...to save the vineyard, and the house, and buy you better doctors."
He coughed, squinting at her, "I don't need better doctors, don't worry about me Cosette, you're doing more than you should ever need to already."
"I do worry though Father, I want you to be well again, I want to help you! This class could be the answer to our prayers."
He thought for a moment, "Go on then, what type of class."
"Its..." she hesitated for a moment, fearful of how he'd react. To be honest she was terrified of the prospect as well, but it may be the only chance they'd get. "Its... a three month vineyard care course, held in India. The vineyards there are immaculate I've heard, and they have developed new techniques that I could bring home and try on our vines." She braced herself for his dismissal of the idea, it would be crazy for her to travel that far, for that long. He was silent for a long time, the sound of crickets outside the window droning on in the night. Finally, he spoke.
"It sounds wonderful. I want you to do this. Go, travel to India, see the world, you could..." she caught her breath as she noticed a tear trickling down his worn cheek. "You could, my dear, you could become a master. Is this what you want? Have I cursed you with this vineyard, or are the vines wrapped around your heart as they are mine?" he said, his voice only a whisper as he tried not to cry.
"Oh father, don't cry please! The vineyard has never been a curse! I love it dearly, for all its done for us, and for all its given you. I've loved it ever since mother..." tears began to fall from her eyes as well now, "ever since mother gave you your journey in that dream. Its been my journey too father. If I can learn and save it , If i could..."
He reached out for her, drawing her into a hug. "I bless this journey then, Go, take what you can and go see the world, let your mind be opened to the beauty you can see. You can tell me everything when you come home, okay?" He pushed her away far enough that he could see her face. "Promise me?"
"Oh yes Father, I promise!"

More tears fell the following week, tears of joy, and apprehension, and fear. She made arrangements with a neighbor who agreed to care for her father while she was away, and she made the daunting arrangements of the trip itself. The packing, the tickets, all the paperwork she'd never even known. It was a massive undertaking for a girl who had never left her city, let alone her country, but she swallowed her fears and pressed forward. She sensed that the following months would be more magnificent, but also more difficult than anything she'd ever faced in her life. On the day of her departure, she hugged her father tight, wincing at how thin he felt. She kissed his forehead and promised that she'd tell him everything, she promised to bring him a gift from India, and sketches of the techniques she'd learn. He hugged her tight, marveling at how big she'd gotten. It seemed like yesterday she was a tiny toddler, just learning to walk, and now... he pushed the thought from his mind, determined not to cry.
"You'll do amazing my sweet Cosette." he said, releasing her from the hug, "Stay safe my sweet girl, I'll miss you every moment."

Location: India

From the moment Cosette stepped foot in India, she was blown away by everything the country had to offer. The culture, the music, the plants and colors, she'd never seen anything like it. Its beauty and intensity was incredible. The guide and translator for the class led her and the others through the countryside, leading them into a beautiful bustling town that overlooked a sea of vineyards. He led them to a large building near there, and instructed them to make themselves at home.
"This will be your home for the next 3 months. This building is owned by the Master Vintner here, and he has opened it to you while you attend his course. Please select a room, unpack and get comfortable. You may explore the city, but prepare yourselves! Tomorrow your classes will begin!"
The students, ranging in both age and ethnicity, scattered through the building, nestling into their own spots. Cosette found a cozy little room overlooking the valley of vines and tiredly set her bags down. "I wish you could see this place Father, its amazing." After she unpacked a bit, she went downstairs to meet with some of the others, and together they decided to explore the town a bit before dinner.

As an excited little group, they wandered up and down the streets, marveling at the incredible smells and foods, sights and people. Cosette smiled, she could hardly believe she was on such an incredible journey, at the same time however, it seemed fated. She felt as if she was meant to be here, in this exact town, at this exact time.

A sense of calm washed over her as she stood there, the bustle of a marketplace parting around her. For a moment, she felt as if the world had drawn her to this exact moment, her mother, the dream, her father, the vineyard. Did she believe in fate? Was there a reason she felt this way in this exact moment? It was difficult for her to pinpoint the feeling, because it was so fleeting, so faint. A whisper that tugged at her heart, a whisper that seemed to tell her that her journey had just begun...