As he walked through the door, she asked herself why she had stayed up for him again. It happened too often and it was making her tired and irritable in the mornings.
Yet she continued to do so, though she did not quite know why. Perhaps part due to worrying, the mothering side of her that still remained despite her children growing up.
But as the scent of alcohol crept into the room as he entered, she wrinkled her nose and sighed. That smell meant another spat would be incoming. Either she would start it by criticizing, or he would because the drink made him irritable. She was just grateful that the smell of sex wasn't on him or that he had a bar wench on his arm.
Yet she continued to do so, though she did not quite know why. Perhaps part due to worrying, the mothering side of her that still remained despite her children growing up.
But as the scent of alcohol crept into the room as he entered, she wrinkled her nose and sighed. That smell meant another spat would be incoming. Either she would start it by criticizing, or he would because the drink made him irritable. She was just grateful that the smell of sex wasn't on him or that he had a bar wench on his arm.
Balling her hands, she stood and faced him.
"Jeph Booker, you're drunk again-" she began but he began speaking before she could continue. It was startling the way he was speaking. Instead of the andry drunken rambling his voice had a passion to it that she hadn't seen for some time.
It was difficult to force herself to actually listen to the words he said. He was speaking about men at the bar, which was a welcome change from him discussing the girls at the bar. He was near frantic with excitement about his tale at the bar.
"Jeph Booker, you're drunk again-" she began but he began speaking before she could continue. It was startling the way he was speaking. Instead of the andry drunken rambling his voice had a passion to it that she hadn't seen for some time.
It was difficult to force herself to actually listen to the words he said. He was speaking about men at the bar, which was a welcome change from him discussing the girls at the bar. He was near frantic with excitement about his tale at the bar.
"Wait, what did you say?" She said suddenly, having finally paid attention to his words.
Jeph sighed, obviously impatient at her interruption. "I said the men at the bar are looking to move away and I-"
"You're moving away?" She finished for him.
He looked at her like she was insane. "No," he began. "We're all moving away," he said slowly.
First there were no words, and then a sputtered nonsense response. "Moving?"
"Yes, yes!" he said excitedly.
"But- But we live here," she cried.
Jeph sighed, obviously impatient at her interruption. "I said the men at the bar are looking to move away and I-"
"You're moving away?" She finished for him.
He looked at her like she was insane. "No," he began. "We're all moving away," he said slowly.
First there were no words, and then a sputtered nonsense response. "Moving?"
"Yes, yes!" he said excitedly.
"But- But we live here," she cried.
As Jeph tried to detail what exactly he had agreed to, which was little since he was drunk, she could only listen in disbelief. What had this man gotten him and his family into? Was she going to be dragged along with him?
Jeph began to get frusterated with the lack of agreement on her part.
She stood by herself in the common room as he stumbled upstairs to bed.
Jeph began to get frusterated with the lack of agreement on her part.
She stood by herself in the common room as he stumbled upstairs to bed.
Could she, Maud, really go along with his man's harebrained idea of moving away so suddenly? She had little choice in the matter it seemed. She could not support herself and her children on a single wage, not in these times. Ever since her husband had been killed years ago she found her normally strong spirit lost in this city. Sadness tinged each street and the sickness made it even worse. More and more often she found herself lying awake at night wondering what she would do if she or any of her children became ill. Another fear was what would happen if Jeph became ill and died.
Maud was not his wife, nor did she have any desire to be. Jeph had expressed interest in marrying her after the death of their spouses but Maud had said no. Her love remained with her dead husband and she knew Jeph had not recovered from th death of his wife. She could not share a bed with this man.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Maud knew sleep would not come easy tonight. Her thoughts were dominated with the potential of a changed future. She hated herself for even the tiniest agreement that Eastdelle was not a safe place to be. The city had high walls and a huge population of people, with guards and doctors and men in charge.. But so did prison.
Was Eastdelle really a prison? Would there be a future here for her and her children? The sickness was spreading. The woman down the the street was dumping buckets of vomit down to the sewers daily. Was she or her family sick, or was someone in that house with child? A gnawing worry at the first possibility tugged at her mind. This household was only a few doors down. Her family walked by that way each time to go to the market.
She sighed quietly and began to prepare for bed and a sleepless night.
Maud was not his wife, nor did she have any desire to be. Jeph had expressed interest in marrying her after the death of their spouses but Maud had said no. Her love remained with her dead husband and she knew Jeph had not recovered from th death of his wife. She could not share a bed with this man.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Maud knew sleep would not come easy tonight. Her thoughts were dominated with the potential of a changed future. She hated herself for even the tiniest agreement that Eastdelle was not a safe place to be. The city had high walls and a huge population of people, with guards and doctors and men in charge.. But so did prison.
Was Eastdelle really a prison? Would there be a future here for her and her children? The sickness was spreading. The woman down the the street was dumping buckets of vomit down to the sewers daily. Was she or her family sick, or was someone in that house with child? A gnawing worry at the first possibility tugged at her mind. This household was only a few doors down. Her family walked by that way each time to go to the market.
She sighed quietly and began to prepare for bed and a sleepless night.