Chapter 9 Are they crazy, or am I?

Jessica woke us in the morning, we tidied up our gear, and stowed it. Rather, I carried our packs out of the way, then stored them. After which I brought a fair amount of food, saying it was in my pack. With my addition, there would be ample for everyone. The kids all started to pile into the Dining hall, very much inattentive, as their food was dished up. Slight surprise was detected at the amount, but they were otherwise oblivious. About ten or so minutes into the eating, one of the younger ones finally noticed Marie, and after that, a second child noticed me. After that, it was pandemonium. Jessica tried to calm them all down, as Marie and I just beamed with pleasure at their pure joy at seeing new people. Taking pity on Jessica I called out in the best impression of a Military Parade Voice. “SILENCE!” A ripple of shocked silence traveled across the hall. “Now, I know you’re all excited, but things have to be said. You can’t hear anything while you’re all trying to talk over each other. So LISTEN. When Questions are allowed, raise your hand, and wait to be called. Your questions will be answered, and if someone else asks your question, lower your hand, until you come up with another question. We’re dealing with big issues only, cause we have a lot to get done today. Head Mistress, if you will give the announcements.”

“Thank you Mark. Big news. First, Mark, and Marie here, are adopting all the girls under ten years old.” Excited screaming from all the girls in the range who understood what that meant, while the older girls, and all the boys were a little depressed. “All the older girls, will be adopted by Mark’s Parents, making him, and by extension Marie, your siblings. You will all be their sisters, and Aunts to their daughters.” Gasps of Joy from the four oldest girls were easily audible. “This has come with a donation to the Orphanage, and though Money isn’t something I’ve ever let you worry about, in this case it means some repairs and things will happen. As such, we will be taking a trip leaving most likely tomorrow, and going to Mark’s Parents Farm, and his as well. The paperwork for the older girls adoptions will be done there, while all the younger girls will be done here before we leave. The boys will all be staying with the Orphanage, but we will be making regular visits to the farms, because you can learn trade skills there. So you’ll have that to look forward to, and being able to visit with the girls too.” The Boys did look a little happy they weren’t being left out entirely.

I spoke up. “Now, I have some things to get done today. The Boys all need new bed frames. These will be special types of bed frames, that will make you all happy I think. I also need to rent carriages for all of us to travel in. Marie will be spending time with you all, while the Head Mistress and I get things arranged. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other, so don’t rush.” Jessica smiled at me. “So are there any big questions?” One of the older boys had raised his hand. “Yes Frank, what’s your question?” He looked at me. “Why only the girls?” I knew the question was going to come, but it was still going to be awkward to answer. “Well, the Boys have much better chances of having a good life, even if they don’t get adopted. Girls on the other hand, have only two options as a rule, and both are bad. I don’t like that, and knowing how hard it is to get funding for this Orphanage, and that girls often get sent away early as a result, I decided to adopt all of them. Those bad options are VERY bad, for them. My Parents agreed with my plan, and insisted they adopt all the girls above age ten, so they’d be my sisters, and have the authority of Aunts to my daughters. You Boys have a much higher chance of being adopted, and if not, getting good work, which I will help with.” That seemed to satisfy Frank, he gave a sad smile, then sat down. Jessica pointed at another child, an eight year old girl this time. “Would you adopt my brother too?” That one stung, but then I saw Frank looking at her. I smiled. “Would Frank be your Brother?” She nodded.

“Tell you what, Frank is almost Twelve, I think My Dad will be glad to Adopt him, even though that would make him your Uncle, can you handle that?” She Grimaced at the thought of him being her Uncle, so I had to push the idea a little. “Just think about it, what other girl gets to boss her Uncle around?” I grinned at her, and she giggled happily. I simply took the adoption fee for Frank out, and handed it over to Jessica, who smiled, a tear twinkling in her eye at the gesture of keeping them together. Nobody else seemed to have questions, so we finished our breakfast, and I went out into the Yard, and started making the Bed Frames. I had all the wood I needed in my Storage already, and the tools as well. Took a few hours to build everything. These stats really make things go quicker. Once they were ready, I called some of the older boys to carry the sections into the best repaired rooms. By the time we were done, all the boys could fit into four rooms instead of the twelve they had needed earlier. They all really liked the new beds, and how more of them could sleep in the same rooms.

After the beds were finished, I went to the Guild, and turned in all the Monster Corpses. It was a tidy sum of coin too. I overheard that the Guards had been talking about the incident, and although if irritated them to have it happen, they were happy about so many creatures being culled at once. Jarreth had done something incredibly stupid, and malicious, yet it was turned into something good. The whole town would feel safer after this. I talked with the Local Master, and informed him of my location should he have something difficult to deal with, but to not spread it around. I didn’t want to be bothered at every turn, just because of my Rank. He agreed, and I took the seventy gold, and went to hire the carriages, and deliver the Bed Frame design to the local Carpentry shop. They were stunned at their own stupidity, for not having thought of anything even remotely similar themselves. When I mentioned that slightly larger versions would be snapped up by military for their Barracks, they were absolutely overjoyed at the thought of the income that would come from this. It was an obvious scramble as I was walking away for them to make the first adult bunk for the Guard Station as a sample. Deciding to help, since it would take some time before the purchase would be approved, I gave over enough to cover ten bunks for the Barracks as a Sample. “It’s a Gift, just remember to charge your best price to the Orphanage ok.” They nodded happily.

After making the arrangements for the Carriages, I returned to the Orphanage. The time was still pretty early when I arrived, and I took a gander in the Kitchen to see what was available for Lunch, and it wasn’t much. Since nobody had noticed me yet, I left again, and headed to the Market Place. Buying plenty of food, and upon passing the area where animal feeds were sold, I found Potatoes for sale, and grinned at the luck. Someone was trying to sell them as pig food, not knowing they were edible for people. There wasn’t a lot of them, about sixty pounds worth, but that was plenty for me. I bought them all for three coppers, and the seller was overjoyed. I kept my cool, and simply walked away with my spoils. Reaching the Orphanage Kitchen I started cooking. Scalloped potatoes, Pork Stew, Green Beans, and I even managed to make a Custard, which I knew would blow the kid’s minds. Seeing tomatoes growing wild, I snatched a good few, and made some Ketchup for the kids to put onto the Potatoes if they wanted, and I had just finished off the last of it, when Jessica came in frazzled clearly thinking she was behind with making lunch. She froze as her brain finally registered the smells wafting around the Kitchen.

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“What?!” I smiled at her. “Good timing, Lunch is ready, and it’s time to serve. The things in the cups are a sweet for after the food is finished. If you’d grab one of the Trays, I’l carry the Stew Pot.” So saying, I carried the Stew out of the Kitchen, and into the Dining hall, followed by a still bewildered Jessica. A couple more trips to get everything setup, and ready to serve, and Marie came in with the kids in tow. She must have a sixth sense to have timed it so perfectly, and seeing the freshly washed hands, and faces on all the kids was priceless. Jessica timidly took a bite of the Potatoes, and even though her eyes had widened from that, they damned near exploded in shock when she tried the Ketchup. “This is amazing, what is it?” Marie and I chuckled at her reaction. “Believe it or not, that’s sliced Potatoes, and the red sauce is made from the Tomatoes that are growing wild out in the yard. No surprise you didn’t know you could eat those. They are similar in shape to Night Shade, but Tomatoes are edible, not poisonous. Potatoes on the other hand, are only Toxic if they’re green. Not wise to eat them Raw, but even then it won’t kill you, just make you very uncomfortable. Cooking them solves that. You can bake them, fry them, Boil them, or Steam them. All depending on what dish you’re making. I put some in the Stew as well. They grow easily, and are so versatile, you can have them at every meal, and nobody will complain cause you can make them differently every time. Great filler for many a meal. Currently nobody knows they’re food. Bought sixty pounds from an animal feed seller, who thought it was pig food, and only paid three coppers, and he thought he was robbing me.” I laughed at that, while Jessica’s eyes were full of wonder at this inexpensive food source I had just introduced her to. “Can the Tomatoes be used in any other way?”

I explained all the uses I knew for tomatoes, and she marveled at how something she thought of as a weed could help fill her charges bellies. “You’ve got to teach me how to use the Potatoes, and the Tomatoes too. Anything else I can use for food would be great also!” I nodded at her. When the custards were served there was reluctance in everyone’s faces, including Marie’s since I hadn’t made anything similar for her, but when I took a big spoonful, and held it in my mouth with joy before swallowing, one of the kids bravely followed suit, and it didn’t take long for her squeal of happiness to convince the rest to follow suit. Joyous energy filled the hall as the Sugar Rush hit them all. We released the kids into the courtyard to burn off the sugar, and got to work cleaning up the dishes. Some of the older girls decided to help with that task, mostly the ones who knew they had a close call due to their own ages. Four twelve, nearly thirteen year olds dug into washing dishes, and only needed minor corrections here and there, and everything got dried, and put away before too long.

After that, Jessica and I went around the grounds, and I pointed out herbs, and other edible that simply grew wild around the place. Even some Brussel Sprouts were growing, and explaining how they were a dense bitter cabbage like vegetable, that she would most likely enjoy, but the kids not so much, she was intrigued. I showed her how to harvest them, and then took them to the Kitchen in order to prepare them for Dinner.

The Kids were far more energetic than they were accustomed to, and I had two thoughts strike me at once. The Girls would all need clothes, since what they had were barely even rags by this point, and everyone would need access to a tent, until the house was done. “Jessica, are you finished with your errands before leaving?” She nodded happily. “In that case, we should round up everyone, and go shopping. The Girls all need some new clothes, what they’re wearing will fall apart within a week on the Farm, and I want to get Tents, and Bedrolls for all of them. Packs too, and a Belt Knife for all the ones old enough to carry one.”

Jessica’s eyes popped. “I hadn’t even thought about needing things for the girls. But if you take the Boys they’re going to want things too, I hope you’re prepared for their puppy dog eyes, and whining, among other tricks.” She grinned thinking I couldn’t possibly handle that sort of begging. “I intend to simply get everyone clothes, and all the older kids Knives, even if they aren’t going home with me. I’ve got the Coin, don’t worry about that. Packs first, then the second hand clothes store, everyone gets three sets of good quality clothes, I bet I can get the Bedrolls, and Tents at the same place as the packs. After they all have that, you can take the younger ones back, while the older ones say eight and up, come with Marie and I to get their belt knives. Maybe hatchets too.”

“Wow Mark, that’s a lot. I mean I appreciate it, but that’s got to be several Gold at that point. Are you sure!?” I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure, the Coin is only a tool to do what I want, and this is what I want. Heck, I probably got enough Gold last night to cover everything I spend. We’re losing time, let’s get things started.” It was quite Chaotic hauling all the kids around town to get everything, but it was worth it. The huge smiles on the girls faces from getting the new clothes alone, and the shoes and stockings too. I noticed Marie buying things for the girls as accessories too. Simple hair pins and the like, little things that made them all smile big. I looked at Frank when we were at the Smithy to get the knives, and hatchets. Analysis of his stats indicated he was a Club Man, and wanting him to be Armed on the Farm, I bought him a Mace very similar to Dad’s, and he couldn’t contain his overjoyed shock at holding this simple weapon in his hands, and then knowing it was his. “I’ll do some training with you when we get settled at my Parent’s Place, maybe even get you out hunting a bit for some experience. Need to get your first Kill, so you won’t freeze up if it’s an emergency. Just don’t go swinging it around for no reason, and especially if you’re mad, and can’t see straight, you might end up doing something you’ll regret if you do. Some things simply can’t be undone.”

Dinner was simple, but as filling as I could manage. They all went to bed stuffed, and Jessica absolutely loved the sprouts. Then we went to bed for the night, only to wake up in the early morning again to fix breakfast. Two hours after that, and everyone, with their packs was loaded onto the rented carriages. Six hours of carriage ride, with frequent rest stops, either for the kids, or the horses, and we finally arrived at the Farm. I was stunned to see that the irrigation ditches, and gates had been installed, including for future fields on Dad’s Farm. Being that so much had changed where I hadn’t expected it, I had the Carriages drive past the location of my House, to see it already completed, and the water mill merrily spinning away, the Forge, and Pottery Shed were almost finished as well. I was stunned. We hadn’t been gone nearly as long as it was expected for the construction to take. “What happened? They said it would take over six weeks for everything, but it looks like almost everything is finished now, even stuff I had planned for years, or months later in the irrigation ditches!” Marie looked just as surprised as I was. The carriages stopped at Dad’s Farm House, and we disembarked.