Nofamily

A Day in the Life of the Family-Less

"Hunger drags me out of the relatively warmth of the shelter into the cold world of pre-dawn. Today I am going to try begging outside the libraries and hope that I don't get shooed out of the area before someone gives me a few coins towards a meal. Maybe later, if I don't get anything, I will try stealing some bread and meat from the bakery."

"They dragged Sarasi to the justice yesterday just because some rich family member said that she was stealing. She was sentenced without much thought. The justice didn't even give her the opportunity to speak. I think she will die. A fever took her during the night and even if we could find a doctor willing to come see her we can't afford any medicines."

"Later we will huddle around her in the rough shelter we dug out of the refuse of the rich and hope that our body heat will keep her alive a little longer and whilst we huddle there in the dirt and the rubble we will tell stories of how we will pay her fine before the time runs out and she is sent into debt slavery. Stories of happier tomorrows and how we will form a family and gain seats on the council and a measure of security. I am too old to believe those stories hold much truth. I don't see how we can ever afford to pay the lawyers and fortune-readers to establish one and I am too old to reckon much on my chances of joining a family that already exists."