We survived.
Barely.
The money from selling our lands and ranch helped us transition to the outskirts of Hamath, to the poorest district of the city proper. We lived in a small structure posturing as a home. Really, it was just a room. Father’s health rapidly declined, and nothing I did improved his state of mind. He seemed to have surrendered. Piece by piece, his life faded. I worked wherever and whenever I could, but there was little to be found outside the fields. I did not want to give Malech the pleasure of seeing me bent over in his domain. Fortunately, I found work with one of Father’s remaining friends, Ozath, but it was still a difficult time. That was true for many people.
Bedridden, his graying beard long and unkempt, Father began talking about death. His skin became pale and
