Chapter 2: My life

I finally found another well-kept carriage. After discussing the pay and reluctantly handing over the unethical fee, I felt defeated as I left for my employer's house.

As I reached the house, the mistress welcomed me. She was a wonderful person and sometimes I wondered how my employer had won her heart. My employer was the type of person who relished displaying his wealth boasting a successful printing business. With a happy, cheerful tone she then informed me about my uniform.

It was common for middle-class households to avoid paying for uniforms as they were costly. So, they would usually instruct us to wear some simple, clean, light clothes. Commissioning custom-made uniforms from a skilled tailor was considered a luxury as many would not be able to afford them- the expense would cover a person’s monthly food cost.

As such, middle-class households were forced to strike a delicate balance between maintaining their appearances and keeping their finance in check, as even for them they would only spend it for special occasions.

She then presented me with a silver-colored box, which had the branding of the city’s most popular tailor, Mr Lexmon. The silver box contained 12 sets of clothing. The garments lacked any particular patterns, they bore a closer resemblance to school or normal clothing than an attire typically worn by household staff. With a gentle reminder, she instructed me with her cheerful smile, “Don’t forget to wear these to school so you can come to work in them.”

Suddenly, the distinct sound of a cane resonated through the air, it was that of my employer. From the sound of his steps, it was evident that he was in a joyful mood. Whenever he was feeling cheerful, he would make sounds with his cane, and steps, he would try his best to create noise, leading to an almost theatrical quality to his entrance.

Clutching his cane, he strode into the house and proceeded to his room. The atmosphere was punctuated by a resounding thud as he placed the cane in its cherry wood holder, which he had custom-built a year ago during the visit of a famous woodworker

After some time there was again the sound of him removing the cane from his cherry wood holder, then again was a little sound of him walking while making the cane with the floor.

He emerged from his room and addressed me, "Isn't it getting rather late? Do you intend to linger here?"

His query caught me off guard. Confused I reached for my pocket watch, seeking clarity in its needles. The hour hand was at 6 while the minute hand was between 9 and 10, it was 6:47, only deepening my uncertainty. Sensing my hesitation my employer commented, “Ah, it appears there’s still time left. You may continue your work till 7 o’clock.”

Silently, my employer’s wife checked my watch then she moved towards the nearby desk. On the desk, there was a lamp that was lit by Kerosene, some books that were printed by my employer, and some other things. She then pulled the drawer which was on the left side of the desk, the drawer contained some niche items along with a watch.

The time on the pocket watch was 7:13 My employer had a pressing engagement in Lecnce that evening, with only two available hackney cabs servicing the route—one early in the morning and the other set to leave around 7:30 in the evening—the urgency of the situation intensified.

My employer’s wife turned to me and expressed her concern for my safety as I was quite young to travel alone at night, she advised me to accompany her husband, my employer on his journey till it nears my house.

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In the carriage, my employer sat on the corner seat, the seats in the carriage were two rows, the carriage was not for families and friends to travel together but also the rows were facing each other. My employer was holding his cane in his right hand while leaning on it in an ungentlemanly way.

As the carriage reached my house, my employer started to speak, he told me “If you don’t wish to wear them, then it's fine we won't force you to wear them”. He also spoke with me about how boring it would be to visit his wife sisters party, he said that if I did not find a carriage it would be fine as he does not wish to attend it.

I wanted to ask “Why do you treat me differently? Compared to other families, you see me as a child and not your servant?” I knew that if I had said that they would be heartbroken, as they did not have a child of their own, they thought of me as their son. I did not mind it and was a little happy about thinking about my good life.

A normal servant would typically get around 1 to 3 medium coins, it was handed out each week, and a loaf of bread would cost about 2 small coins. A normal family of 4 would need nearly a hundred small coins for a month.

Each week I was getting about 1 medium coin and 24 small coins. Normally servants of my age get nearly 7 or 10 small coins.

A small coin has a bronze color and the imprint of a little dog, A thousand small coins are equal to one medium coin, a medium coin has a bronze color, medium coins have an imprint of a torch, and a thousand medium coins are equal to one low coin, low coins have the imprint of a fairy and are covered in silver colored paint, one thousand low coins would be equal to one high coin, high coins are covered in real golds and have the imprint of the royal court, and one thousand high coins are equal to one gold coin, it had the print of King Lucar the IV.

I walked near my house, clenched my fist for a second because of the cold, and used my right hand to pull the door, to open my way into my house. As soon as I entered, I was hugged by my little brother, he had no name, the reasons were simple a naming ceremony would take about 20 or 50 depending on the priest, and a name would only be given on a person's 10th birthday

***

Lione Herfelt was the name of an upcoming author from Britain, she was 24 years old.

“Miss Lione”, “Miss Lione Herfelt has won the newcomers writing award”. There was applause, Lione walked up to the stage, Mr. Newman was the host, he was known for his clever and humorous remarks.

They chatted about her award-winning novel, Dream of Two, a novel about two boys named Edward and Eleven, both in their early teen life, when Leven dies by jumping from their school roof. What will happen to Edward?

Mr. Newman asked Lione “How did you get the idea of the story?” to which Lione answered “It was when I was in ninth or tenth grade, I and my best friend Kishan were talking, and when he said because of the exam he might die and then he will haunt me for which I said then you better help me copy others answers”

On the morning of 25/10/2007, there was an incident Lione’s best friend died because of some mysterious circumferences, the news did not come in the headlines, and it was not even left in the memories of people, it might be because Kishan was not a popular author or might be because something tried its best to not make it known. Slowly but surely, something had made everyone forget about him. Lione had forgotten about her best friend, Kishan’s parents did not remember him, and the world was the same old one, except there was no Kishan who was the author of Eye of Space and a survival guide to a new world.

*

As soon as he hugged me, I felt my tiredness fly away, he was 6 years old, and he was my little brother. My mother came near us and said to my little brother that he should stop doing it as soon as I entered our house, and then she asked him to watch over the milk as she was chopping the potato to make soup.

Soon came the sound of someone walking, it was my father, as soon as he opened the door and came inside, the person who should have been watching over the milk jumped and hugged Father.

Soon was a cry from my mother screaming at my little brother as the milk was spilled from the heat. She scolded him not to leave watching the milk, to which he replied that he had left the job to the big man, he was referring to our cat, which was a stray one, it had many scars on its face, and its body was quite weak.