That One Guy That Changed Everything(Jelsa)

The Life of a Commoner

Routine.

That's all my life seems to be a constant routine. Help my mother by doing daily chores, such as cooking for all of us but I do it out of love, plus I only having to fetch a slice of bread from the local bakery with the little money we have, a pitiful job compared to the job of a mother. This bread and some vegetables, that I grow in our back garden, allows me to make some soup, our only meal. I often sell some flavours, such as mint, that I grow in order to gain some more money but this allows the soup to at least taste a bit different every time we eat it. The bread will last us about 3 days between the 3 of us we only have a pinch of it each that we nibble on, savouring every last bite, but even though it is not a lot we are still thankful that we even have a bit of money to at least have meals on the table some people in this town don't even have that.

I also earn a bit more money through working at the children's orphanage where I act like my immature self which I can tell cheers Emma up but I feel as though it burdens my mom. Ever since dad died she has been taking on the responsibilities in the household, which includes paying all the bills we struggle to get by, after she pays the bills we only have about enough money to get us through the week but with my growth of vegetables we make it last the month. It becomes more of a struggle at this time of year, we can't afford to stay warm firewood being expensive but I manage to get a couple cheaper as it is one of my jobs in the town. I got a job at the orphanage to earn a bit of money to help my mom with the bills, I just wish I could do more. Stress is clearly taking it's toll on her, I see the tired look in her eyes and the roots of her hair ever darkening, slowly turning into a grey colour that is why I felt obligated after dad's death to at least help in the household more, I did step up not maybe as much as mom had hoped me to me.  I feel as though it is my responsibility to take on the role now that father has passed, you would expect me to step up and be the man in the house but I am still a kid at heart, I want to help my mom as much as I can but I can't help the immature part of me that still wants to act like a kid.

Struggle with food is the main problem, I see how skinny Emma and mom are. I am too but I have a lot of muscle from some of the heavy lifting I do, like when fetching firewood for the town, so that conceals my thinness. I still cherish the time I have to play with Emma though, but find myself consistently wondering out at night going to the special lake and staring at the moon in hope of a better life, a life where we are not having to split one piece of bread over 3 days and a life we are not having to live in poverty but that's not up to me to decide. The royal family are the only ones that can put an end to the poverty but yet the continue to raise prices of taxes so they can throw extravagant parties. It pains me to know that I can't do anything to change the system, I can't make things fair and I can't make the royal family know what is like none of us can. We never see them come to the town anymore, they have stayed in the castle ever since the birth of their two daughters.

Hope.

That is the one thing I try to maintain regardless, I shield Emma's eyes with the childhood innocence I don't want her to know of the struggles that me and mom are facing because she deserves to live her childhood free from the worry that mom especially faces when the winter season dawns on us but yet I am hopeful of the future. I feel as though maybe one day one royal may be able to change the system.

"Hello mother." I say entering the house, kissing her on the cheek as I place the piece of bread on the table to last us the next 3 days.

"Hey honey." She says as she stirs the soup on the pan that is placed over the fire.

"That smells delicious." I say, a excited glint in my eyes. She uses a towel to place over the edge of the pan as she places it on the table, tipping it into the wooden bowls dad carved for us when he was alive.

"Would you go call your sister please Jackson?" My mother asks sweetly. I nod in response, heading into the room that me and Emma share.  We live in a small bungalow with the dining room and my mom's bed connected we have one door that leads into another bedroom which has two small twin beds, which is the room me and Emma share. We have the toilet in the town so have to go outside but keep our little wooden tub underneath my mom's bed which we only take a bathe in occasionally due to our need to conserve water.

"Hey Ems." I say cheerfully, walking into our room. Her eyes immediately light up and she sprints to me, clasping her arms around my leg, causing a laugh to escape me, warmth in my heart as I see the joy and happiness on my sisters face.

"Come on off my leg, it is time for dinner little one." I say ruffling her hair. She pouts but as soon as I mention dinner I find myself watching her sprint off to the dining room table almost immediately. Her excitement makes me laugh, she has too much energy. I walk over to the table sitting down and we sit in a comfortable silence no words needed, warmth in our hearts as we sit around a table with the people we love, cherishing these moments we have and the happiness the radiates through us all because even though we don't have much money we have each other and that's all that matters.