Scarlet
Another dreary day in the village another day of back breaking work for no recognition, I was at least outside today it was great outside in the fields sowing the seeds for the crops, at least I was doing something that would also benefit myself rather than just washing the knights and kings and queens clothes in the horrid laundry room but that is what us Harleys did we were maids and squires for the lords and ladies of the castle and it is what I would always do like my mother and her mother before her we worked for them until we died then finally we could rest, "are you nearly done over their Scarlet!” my mother called me, I had no idea why my mother had so many kids I guessed it was because they couldn’t afford the contraception but there was no way I was ever bringing kids into this world to have the same fate as I do, “yes mother I’m done” I called back to her "good come and get some off these seeds and go and help Joanna in the back field that’s the last one then” “ok" I trudged over to her grabbing the seeds she had in a bag for me smiled at her and tried to carefully make my way over to Joanna I only had one pair of shoes of which were hardly what you would call shoes but they covered my feet none the less and I really didn’t want them caked in mud as wash day wasn’t for another two days and I didn’t want to walk around covered in mud for two whole days before I could get a wash, "hey!" Joanna called I waved to her before setting to work spreading the seeds around. I liked throwing the seeds I found it therapeutic and soothing I was lost in my own thoughts wondering about my life, I knew that this was my life and if my mother and the rest of my family and all their friends where anything to go off it was all I would ever be a maid until I die, but I wanted more I wanted out I wanted to see things do things have food that we didn’t have to scrimp and save for and be able to buy my whole family hundreds of pairs of shoes! But the way out wasn’t clear and I suppose I should just carry on with my fate at working myself to an early grave because the people higher up would never allow one of us to dream of anything more for their lives.
Once finished in the fields we all made our way back home, it wasn’t much but we all loved to spend the evening here, I walked up to the battered old house it was made of bricks but it had a old tin roof that was covered in moss and dirt, but I loved home it was where I felt safe and happy, I walked in to find my grandmother sitting in her old rocking chair, another old lady died and wanted for her to have it and ever since she got it I swear she only gets out to go to the toilet “Scarlet you are back" she greeted me "hello grandmother" I went over to her hugging her and kissing her cheek "how was work today sweet heart” she motioned for me to sit next to her, I often did this as she longed to be outside again but the years of hard work had taken its toll on her body and her legs weren’t able to carry her far anymore, not that she could stop working though she was often brought piles of clothes that needed sewing so she would sit in her rocking chair facing the window and sew till her fingers could do no more, she sighed putting her sewing down, she looked at me her once bright eyes now dim from the hardship they had seen "you ok grandmother?" I asked her softly she placed her hand on my cheek “yes darling I'm just sorry that you couldn't have more from life and you are condoned to this one" I placed my hand on hers “yes but have all of you and we all have each other" she smiled “yes girl in this life you must take pleasure in the small things” I smiled squeezing her hand tightly "love you" I told her "I love you, now go and pop the kettle on we deserve a nice cup of tea and get one ready for when your mother gets back she will have to start straight with supper” I nodded and got up to make everyone a nice hot drink to enjoy when they got back.
Handing my grandmother her steaming cup of tea just how she liked it we couldn’t afford much milk so we each had a drop each to our teas my mother and sister came through the door and we greeted them I went to walk over and give them their tea’s but before I could walk away my grandmother grabbed my arm tightly I spun around looking at her shocked she never touched any of us like that she was gripping my hand tightly as she stared out of the small dirty window over the fields beyond I couldn’t see anything out there, “grandmother what’s wrong?” she just carried on staring out of the window “grandmother!” I asked more urgently this time, my grandmother slowly turned to face me her face pale and still “they are coming”.
