These Little Women ✔️

Up the Beanstalk

Willow sat on the bench in front of her home, shaking her head in despair. Why? Why did she do this? This had been a terrible idea, a waste! And yet, there was she was, holding the sack of beans she had traded a while ago.

But Bethany, her mother who had raised her all by herself until she was an adult, was getting sicker and sicker as time went on. She was able to keep her healthy enough for the past few years, but now the woman was basically bedridden. They had barely any money, so she couldn't just ask the doctor to come look her over and ask for medicine. They had no way to pay for it.

Willow had tried to make their lives easier by inventing little gadgets to help around with the house and farm chores. Sometimes she would even sell them to get some extra money every now and then. But even with the gadgets, they still couldn't afford as much food as they needed. And even though she tried to make Bethany eat more, she wouldn't allow Willow to give up her portions to her.

Bethany's argument was sound, but it still frustrated her. It didn't matter she was her daughter. It didn't matter if she was the young one. It didn't matter if Bethany was dying. She wanted her to keep living. She was too young to die... Damn it, it was all because of this stupid area. This poverty stricken area with dried up soil that couldn't grow crops for anything. Supposedly, decades ago, this land used to be rich and filled with life, but now... No one was sure what had happened. The land just turned to dirt. And with that, everyone grew poor.

Willow looked at her sack in her hands again. She had gone into town that day to hopefully sell one of her gadgets. But as she expected, no one wanted it since it wasn't "the old way." Even though these people desperately needed to adapt to survive, so many people were still afraid to deviate from the old ways of farming.

She would have gone home with the gadgets in hand had she not come across some beggar woman hiding at the edges of the town.

She had no money, but in return for the gadget, she offered her this bag of "magic" beans. She insisted that they were the key to everyone's problems. Willow would have dismissed her if she hadn't mentioned that these beans could ever cure the ill. Just as long as she got Willow's little gadget, she would give her the five beans in the sack.

Willow wasn't stupid, but she was certainly desperate. With her mother sick and dying the promise of being able to cure her... She was running out of ideas, out of remedies. It wouldn't be long until Bethany died in her own bed. Even though it was probably just a dirty scam, she traded the gadget for the beans.

Thinking about it now, it was probably one of the worst mistake of her life. She had no means of planting these properly. The land was completely barren! Good God, what was she thinking? She was smarter than this... Bethany would be so disappointed in her.

Willow huffed, standing up and walking inside the cottage. They didn't have a big home, but at least they had two bed, a kitchen, and a table. That was more than what most people had nowadays... And they were lucky enough to have even this. Some people didn't even have roofs over her head, let alone a kitchen.

When she opened the door, she could already hear her mother throwing a coughing fit. Quickly, she rushed to her side, seeing her hunched over and coughing violently into her blanket. She bit her lip as she rubbed her back, guilt swirling in her chest. She couldn't tell her about the stupid trade... The last thing she wanted to do was put stress on her and make her become even sicker.

Once her coughing fit ended, she gently stretched up a hand to rub her head. "Are you okay? Did you need me to bring you some water?" She placing a hand to her forehead, stroking over it. "Mother... How are you doing?"

She let out another soft cough before giving Willow a weak smile. "You worry too much, child... I'm all right."

Willow knew better, but merely nodded.