"It's a servitary school." He told her. "It's far north of the Lotus, near the border. They have a stay service with families and work on their working plants over there. In return, I get the entire schooling free."
Jackson pulled up the next plate in his hand, running the towel against the surface to dry it, eyeing it with a smile as he went.
"The orientation is on the 7th in two months."
Sari knew why he seemed so over the moon about it. Jackson was almost 18, and he still barely knew how to read. Sari wished she could have helped him, but he was so busy helping the kids that he could never really be taught properly. Besides, Sari knew that there was a part of his pride that didn't want his younger sister to teach him how to read.
'This school was his chance to catch up on everything he missed. Despite never going to school, Jackson was a really smart guy. Things always clicked easily for him. He was always a wonder in math. And he understood and remembered practically everything. Sari knew it was always his dream to put that brain to good use. And now he had a school that was gonna get him there to that place. So he could be the scholar he always wanted.
Sari was excited upon hearing this, but some guilt lingered in her stomach. Jackson... really was leaving. She knew sooner or later it would happen. He couldn't stay at the orphanage any longer. He had been there longer than anyone. Sari's time compared to that was significantly short, and even she was itching to get out of the orphanage. All the older ones usually do. And once Jackson hit 18, he would be free from the orphanage shackles.
But even so- Sari was gonna miss him. Lately, it felt like he was the only thing keeping her sane. The last time they had an orphanage caretaker was forever ago, and Jackson took up all of the household priorities in their place. He took care of the kids, cooked for everyone, cleaned the place, set up interviews, and then some. All part of that endless working brain of his. Sari was excited for him, but she realized her family really was gonna be moving out. It's not like he'd disappear from her sight forever, it meant she couldn't see him as often, and that simply destroyed a part of her.
Jackson was always good at reading her mind, so his arms reached out and ruffled the top of her head, smiling at the bowl he was cleaning in his other hand.
"Relax. I'll be coming back every single break. And I'll send letters too." He told her. Looked like he was gonna miss her too.
Sari smiled, leaning against his shoulder as she picked up another plate to dry.
"Make sure you learn how to read it first." She joked.
-
"A baby?" Jackson's eyes grew wide.
The office worker, placed a few pieces of paperwork beside each other, nodding to herself more than Jackson.
"Yep, they'll come in the latter half of June." She explained.
Tina was Lotus's capital's best conduction worker. The capital held an office on the western side that usually dealt with political matters, travel visas, etc. Tina in particular was the orphanage's case worker. She was in charge of the tax money given to the orphanage each month. She dealt with all of the paperwork, and the incoming orphans as well. Jackson came by the office three times every month for a variety of reasons.
The first reason of course is in order to get the money for the orphanage. He had mouths to feed, and no that there wasn't a caregiver for the orphanage, all of the work was left to him. Meaning that check was vital to making sure everything was handled smoothly. The second reason to check if there were any incoming orphans to the orphanage. Jackson always thought their paper route of giving information was slow, and most of it was hard for him to read, and Sari had to help him with it, which meant it was much easier to drop by the office.
The third reason was the exact intent that the orphanage didn't have a care worker. It wasn't hard to imagine caregivers dropping in and out of the job. The capital was a special place, most of the population there migrated there for the sole purpose of a unique profession. 80% of the work conducted there had something to do with the castle positioned right next to it. Meaning there were no unemployed people in the capital of Lotus. Most of the caregivers in the past were usually relatives of other people who moved to the capital without a plan or older ladies who had already retired. Their positions were short-lived when they realized that being an orphanage caretaker was a full-time job and then some. Living there, eating there, it practically ran your life.
Jackson came quite often to the capital offices to see if anyone had turned in any resumes.
But this time, when Sari came and tagged along to this trip, they were both dropped the bombshell that they'd be receiving a baby at the orphanage in about three to four months. Quite a rarity. It felt like there wasn't an actual baby at the orphanage in a while. They were usually the first to get adopted.
Sari and Jackson looked at each other in a panic. A baby meant a lot. And it was too soon.
Babies meant 24/hour care. It means an adult to always be there. They have yet to find a caretaker for the orphanage. There was no caretaker for their orphanage. A while ago the desk assistant told them they could make a daily job for a nanny to come and watch the children during the day, while the older kids keep out for the younger ones during the night until they found someone permanent. That's how it's always been. Jackson is the oldest at the orphanage, so more than a brother he took care of everyone when there weren't volunteers and day workers scrambling in and out. But Jackson wasn't going to be there for very long. He was leaving. And that meant the oldest under him was Sari. She couldn't take care of a baby.
Meaning they needed to find a new caretaker.
The weeks picked up after that. Jackson was never not busy. Between taking care of the orphans, studying for his servitude school, and looking for a new caregiver, there was never a quiet moment for him.
Sari had to watch the kids whenever he had to go out to go look for prospective caregivers. He had drafted flyers, posted them around time, went to town meetings, and then some. Sari helped him draft five different letters to the king, all sent with no reply. It's like the king didn't care that the orphanage had no caretaker. That or he never opened the letters in the first place. Jackson was getting restless. She could still hear him awake after he had tucked all of the kids in, sketching out more plans or ideas.
But it was futile. Nothing was helping. It was so frustrating to watch. Seeing Jackson try so hard and with little to no results. It's like there was no one anywhere who wanted to be their caregiver. It was like it was hopeless to pursue.
With every day, Sari's anxieties grew.
She hated that selfish part of her. She wanted to cry about how ridiculous she's been acting. She had no right to cry and be upset. How could she be dreading helping the orphanage when Jackson had been giving it all forever?
Even since she joined the orphanage, she saw how hard he tried. He was always good with all of the kids. He knew exactly what to say, and he worked harder than anyone she'd ever met. Making food every day, taking care of all the kids, working hard when he was never even asked. Jackson wasn't an adult yet either. He was given the short end of the stick, just like Sari. But when he was asked to step up he just did. He wasn't like Sari now. He didn't pout, cry, or get upset at the thought of taking care of everybody. He gritted his teeth and bared with it. And now, finally he has the chance to do something for himself. He has the choice to grow and do what he wants to do. How could Sari be thinking so selfishly?
