1-2

It had been a month, and the family was running out of food very quickly. Lance couldn’t find work anywhere else. The economy was bad and there was a food shortage in the nation. The King was eating, so he didn’t care if his people weren’t.

                On this particular day, Lance sat on their back step, watching the older children play outside. He could hear his sister inside with the younger ones, trying to shush the baby. If it wasn’t for the babies crying and the hunger pains in his own stomach, Lance would have fallen asleep from the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze running past.

                “Hey, look! The old lady left her milk out again!”

                Lance quickly looked up when he heard the shouts of one of the children, and it was a good thing he had. The children were rushing toward the neighbor’s house because they had spotted a small jar of milk on the back step of her house.

                “Stop that!” he called, standing up and rushing after them. By the time he arrived, the children were already fighting over the milk. The old woman had come to the back door and was glowering at them. Lance sighed and pulled out the last coin he had in his pocket.

                “Here,” he said, “Please, take this. I’m so sorry. They normally have better manners, but we’re all so hungry.”

                The woman just snatched the coin from Lance’s hand and walked back inside. Lance sighed and watched the children fight over the milk for a moment before plucking it from the little, chubby fingers of one of the little ones. They all complained, but Lance just shook his head and headed back toward their yard. The children all followed after him as if they were a flock of chickens waiting to be fed.

                After sitting down on the porch step once again, he handed the bottle out to the youngest child and regulated how much each child drank; making sure they all got some.

                “Lance, what’s going on?” his sister asked as she came to the back door.

                “Nothing, Emma. I’ve got it handled.” Lance replied without turning around. The woman just sighed and returned back to the kitchen, trying to scrounge up enough food for a dinner meal. 

Author's Note

Cast List:
Lance Wise - Jean Valjean
Emma - Valjean's sister