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Lance Wise grew up in a small family of four. He had a loving mother, a hard working father, and a sweet older sister. His sister was quite a few years older than him, though, and had married and moved out while he was still young. Yet it was his older sister who took him in when his mother died of illness and his father a working accident shortly after.

                Lance was so thankful to his sister for raising him that he stuck around after her husband died and left her with seven children. He took the same profession of his father, the only he knew how to do, and supported his sister and her children. He wasn’t particularly happy to do it, for it was a lot of work, but he owed it to his sister. They would all die if he wasn’t there.

                “Oh, Lance! You’re home!” his sister exclaimed one day after he returned home from work, “We had to start eating without you. But I saved you some!”

                The silver haired woman got up from the table and walked into the kitchen while Lance seated himself. She came back a moment later with a bowl of soup and a spoon and set it down in front of him before returning to her meal.

                “Mama, I’m still hungry!” One of the children whined. The woman sighed and muttered, “This is all we have. Your Uncle works hard to bring us home money. You’re lucky you get two bowls of soup a day!”

                The child just whimpered. The woman sighed, but picked up her spoon and sunk it into her brother’s bowl before pulling out a chunk of meat. She dumped it into the boy’s bowl, and he quickly popped it into his mouth. That, of course, sent out a protest from the other children old enough to feed themselves, and she took another chunk of meat out of her brother’s bowl for each child. This then became a custom for every meal time, up until the day Lance told his sister he lost his job. Then the woman took two pieces of meat for each child. Lance just pretended he didn’t notice.

Author's Note

Cast List:
Lance Wise - Jean Valjean