Cosette | Les Misérables (thedreamwastrue) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2020-01-12 13:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2020 january, ~25 points, ~~chidi anagonye (mystomachhurts), ~~~cosette fauchelevent (thedreamwastrue |
WHO: Chidi and Cosette
WHAT: A conversation
WHERE: The library
WHEN: Earlier this week
WARNINGS: No
STATUS: Closed/Completed Gdoc
Cosette’s life had changed a great deal since she’d arrived here in Madison Valley. The future was both an amazing and a terrifying place, and adjusting to all the differences hadn’t been entirely easy. Learning English had been one of the most difficult parts, and while she’d learned enough to get by and was learning more every day, she still had a very strong accent and was far more comfortable speaking French than she was speaking English.
Today she was at the library, studying for her last exam. Christmas break started as soon as she was finished, and she was quite happy about that. She loved school, she loved learning - but the fact that it wasn’t done in her own language made it even more difficult and she had to admit that she was rather exhausted from all the learning.
Returning to table with the book, she looked carefully over her syllabus before turning to the correct page, and with the help of a large French dictionary, made her way through the reading.
***
With one semester nearly complete, Chidi was looking ahead to the next. Teaching undergrads was an adjustment from what he was used to, though he found he enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the best ways to engage his students. Oddly, his experiences teaching Ethics to Eleanor, Jason, and Michael were useful in this regard.
Today, he was at the library looking for some materials for his next course, when he noticed a young woman surrounded by books who was clearly studying. After watching for a few moments, he realized that she was translating something and found himself making his way over to the table before he had time to think about how it might look for him to be approaching her.
A quick glance at the French dictionary made him glad he had though. “What are you translating?” His French was spoken with an African accent, a vestige from his childhood in Senegal.
***
“My history assignment,” she replied in perfect, Parisian French. It felt good to her just for a moment, not to be the one with the accent.
“I am getting better at English, but there are still words I don’t know. So I look them up and learn them.” It could be slow going, but it was getting faster every single time.
She looked up at him with a soft smile.
“Where are you from? Your French is perfect, but I don’t recognize your accent.”
***
“I was born and raised in Senegal,” Chidi said, still speaking French. It was rare for him to have this opportunity and he figured it would make her more comfortable. “I’ve lived a number of places though.” And spoke several other languages, though that wouldn’t really help her out.
He smiled at her determination. English was a difficult language to learn and there was something about her accent that made him think she was not from a modern version of France. “It’s not easy to learn English.”
***
“No,” she agreed. “It isn’t.” She found the word she was looking for and closed the dictionary. “French makes sense. It has rules. English has rules, but then it throws them right out the window whenever it wants to, so they’re not really rules at all.”
There might have been a little frustration in her voice, but she was trying to keep it from showing.
“Even French has changed since I learned it. Although I still understand.”
***
Chidi smiled at her description of English. It was fairly accurate. “The English language stole from every other language, picking and choosing what it wanted to keep. There really is no rhyme or reason to it.” It was like a bully shaking down kids for their lunches, taking the best bits and leaving the rest behind.
“If you ever need help translating something, you’re welcome to contact me,” he offered. “I’m Chidi Anagonye.”
***
“It’s very hard, especially when I’m trying to learn it at an academic level,” she said. “It’s not like I can start small. Maybe I should have waited before I went to school, but I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to start learning. Who knows how long I can stay here?”
She sighed. She’d gotten to the point where she didn’t really want to go home anymore. She wished Marius and Papa would come here, but she liked the freedoms she’d found in this place.
***
The fact that she was so focused on learning was endearing to Chidi. “It’s good that you’re taking advantage of it while you can,” he said. “I’m a professor at Hanover College here and I worked in universities back home, so I am happy to help whenever I can.”
She seemed like a sweet girl and it would be nice to have someone to speak French with on a regular basis.
***
“I would appreciate that. There are so many things to learn anymore, you know? So many more disciplines than when I was a child. I only had to learn to read and do my numbers.”
Now there were so many things that it was utterly overwhelming to her.
“And the language doesn’t make it any easier.”
***
“Have you chosen a path of study?” Chidi asked. “Or are you focusing on a more general education?” He’d be happy to help her either way and would be willing to make suggestions for resources.
***
“I haven’t completely decided,” she said carefully. “But I’m leaning towards Medicine. I was told that women could be doctors here, and while I know there’s not a medical school, I’d like to study that, and how to make people better. There’s so much to learn but I am really enjoying my biology classes. I think I might even be good at them.”
She smiled slightly.
“It’s amazing, how much women are allowed to learn here.”
***
Chidi smiled at her enthusiasm. “What year was it for you at home?” he asked. Her wonder at women being allowed to learn coupled with the slightly off accent made that the most likely option to him. Sherlock would be proud of his deductive reasoning.
“I do think there are nursing classes,” he added.
***
“1832,” she said. She’d said it enough times that it didn’t seem strange to her anymore. It didn’t seem odd that she was almost 200 years in her future. “I suppose I would be dead many years if I’d stayed in my time.” That thought was so abstract that it didn’t scare her much, though.
“Yes, that’s what Mr. Milligan told me. I’m excited to learn what they have to teach.”
***
That had to be a major adjustment and Chidi thought she was doing remarkably well, all things considered. “You should be very proud of yourself,” he said. “Many people in your circumstances would not put forth the effort to learn that you are.”
He would have to reach out and check in with her later, make sure that he offered his help so she could be successful.
“I”ve got to head out, but it was a pleasure speaking with you, Cosette.” And not only because it gave him an opportunity to speak French.
***
“It was a pleasure speaking with you too, Monsieur,” she said, glancing back at her books. “If you ever wish to speak French again, I would be glad to speak it with you.”
It was nice to speak the language of her mind and heart. It was not such a struggle like speaking English was.
Then she turned back to her books, determined to understand this subject as well as was possible.