One year later…
It has been a year since father died; we are just barely getting along as it is.
Wesley and I both work during the day now. Wesley's job is falling trees for Mr. Johansen, (Pronounced Yohansin). Or any other odd job he can find around town.
My job is as a maid for Lady Berggren. And her two daughters; Drizzela, and Bertha, are around the ages of nineteen and seventeen. I have never gotten along with them. Drizzela may be beautiful but she is also a self-centered person. In addition, Bertha, being the younger of the two, praises her every move. The only reason I still work at that house is that Lady Berggren pays me well.
Wes and I are usually dead on our feet when we arrive home at night. Therefore, we are not able to spend much time with our brothers and sister. A fact that I regret dearly.
Nathaniel gets into fights with other boys his age a lot. Wess and I are at our ends meet when trying to help him through this stage in his life.
We have not heard Jacob's laugh in over a year and a half now. The feelings showing in his soft brown eyes are the worst part. It's like a slow throbbing pain that has grown so intense that it has slowly eaten away all of the happiness. It's gotten to the point where it's hard to look into his eyes
Wesley has tried his hardest at being a father to all of us, but that is rather hard for him when he himself is still in need of a father.
Wesley and I have had to do a lot of premature growing in these past seven years. Wess once wanted to become a soldier and join the royal arms, and he had to give up that dream to become a provider of four other human beings. I still see the longing in his eyes when he picks up a sword, or when we hear soldiers walking through the streets of Rhenia.
I was studying with father to become a doctor, but that was put on indefinite hold when mother got sick.
I do not mind taking care of my family, but I pray that there will be a day when Wess can follow his dreams and become a warrior. For now though, we have to focus on raising our family to the best of our abilities.
*~~H~~*
I sat up, gasping for breath. I just now fell off a cliff! And now I'm sitting... On the floor beside my bed. I started laughing, for some reason it was extremely funny. Then the city bell rang four times, telling me I couldn't go back to bed.
I grudgingly got up and opened my wardrobe, It's contents were made up of one brown working dress, one plain blue dress, a grey skirt, and one white shirt.
I pulled out the brown dress. Then walked across the hall into the bath. I washed quickly, not having more than a few minutes in the bath.
As I slipped my dress on, I briefly wished I had a pretty dress, but that thought was dismissed as quickly as it had appeared. It would only make it harder on the rest of the family if I wished for nonsense things, like fancy clothing.
Going to Wess' door and knocked gently, hearing a soft moan I smiled and opened the door. Revealing Wesley slowly sitting up. He had a very long day yesterday he deserves more sleep, but he has another long day of work.
"Good morning." He said in a voice deepened by sleep.
I smiled, closing the door. Then I went down stairs to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Wess came down not long after I finished. We sat down at the table together, reaching across the table we grasped each others hands, and bowed our heads, then Wess spoke. "Dear God, we thank you for the food we are about to eat, and for the hands that prepared it." He squeezed my hand as he said this. "Father, please help today to be prosperous, and please give us the strength to carry this family, Amen."
We ate in a companionable silence, each of us pondering our list of chores for the day.
Soon Wesley left for work and I woke Nate and Jacob, since they had school that day. As soon as they were finished with breakfast they quickly left for school.
I crept up to see if Lyssy was still asleep, upon finding her in dreamland, I smiled down at her. Then left, closing the door softly behind me.
I went downstairs to find my best friend Isabella waiting at the table. She was going to watch Lyssy for the day. I hugged her and thanked her as I left for my own work.
Thus a new day began in my household.
