The Golden Rule

Ch 11: Complications

It took a long time for Angeline to fall asleep, knowing that the meat still sat in her stomach. Fortunately for her the next day, Mrs. Mary suggested that Angeline and Acci try working in the town to connect with more of the people. Angeline wholeheartedly agreed with the idea, working was the only thing she felt like she could do right, but she was surprised that Acci did not try to put up a fight. In fact, she looked most satisfied than she has ever seen her. Though she did not have experience working with her hands, Angeline did not mind that the only work they had available was in their fields. Though it would have been nice if they had given her a teaching assignment, but she quickly realized that as a foreigner she would have absolutely nothing to teach them.

All my training wasted. No, I shouldn't think that. She shook her head and resumed her work, picking the tough, stringy plants from the ground and putting it into a large bag beside her. After finishing that area, she gripped the rough fabric and barely got it to move to a new area before stopping to catch her breath. Wiping the sweat on her forehead, she rested on the bag for a little while, looking at land. Everything seemed so unorganized. Some people were working, some people were talking, some people were eating and drinking, and some people were doing all of it at once. A pinch of anger rose up in seeing so much time wasting. This field was much smaller than her Fields, but the town looked too small to be supported by it.

Why are they wasting so much time? There is still so much to do! How do they feed each other with so much laziness! I mean... No I shouldn't think that. I'm sure they found a way. Uh I hate how I sound now, Just... Just look at something else.

She looked at Acci, who was picking plants and roots out of the ground and putting them in a smaller bag at her side. She remembered that Acci was surprised to learn that all the plants growing out of this ground were edible and assumed that she could not tell difference between the weeds and the crops.

She drank from the water pouch Mrs. Mary gave her and continued picking up the weeds. She had to take small breaks in between when some of the adults wanted to talk to her. She did not mind because they never lasted very long, and she genuinely enjoyed hearing their sincere conversations, but she found it hard to shake her conversational nerves. She speed up when her head started to feel like it was weighed down by rocks. She decided that she should at least reach the end of the row before taking another break.

Just get to the end. I can do it! Just a little further, and I would have helped.... When she tried to pull the bag again, her headache became too painful for her to stand anymore, and she fell to the ground. She watched the blurry sky spiral out for awhile until people started surround her.

She went in and out of consciousness as she felt herself being carried by someone. It reminded her of when Nathaniel carried her. When his gap tooth smile flashed in her mind, she felt a brief ache stung her heart. Then she felt cool water splash across her face, bringing her out of her daze.

“That was close! What happened?” a woman's voice said.

She coughed a little water that slipped into her mouth and mumbled to her. “Uhhh. I... I don't know I... It's so hot here. ”

“I'm sorry. Here. Drink some water.” The person brought water up to her lips and drank vigorously from it. “We'll take you back to Grandma's.”

When she was picked up again, her vision cleared up enough to see that Precious stood next her.

“Precious?” she muttered while she was being carried away.

“Yeah. It's me, and this is Jeremy,” Precious said.

“It's nice to meet you, Angeline,” He said. He was a Pearlie boy with short curly hair, but she tried to keep it out of her mind that his arm were the same size as Nathaniel's.