"Jacan, quit!" He remembered the girl giggled as little four year old Jacan chased her through the crowded dirty streets. He ran as fast as he could watching his only friend Violet running infront of him. He remembered her old dress torn and dirty. Her red hair was pulld back and freckles covered her cheeks. Four year old Violet looked back over her shoulder at Jacan. He was tall for his age with blonde hair and eyes that were stone cold green intertwinned with crystal blue. He laughed as Violet ran into the leg of a man in the market.
"Violet! What on earth are you doing?!" Violet's mothers vioce broke into their fun. Violet's face went pale when she looked up at her mother. Violet's brown eyes stared back into her mothers. Her mother grabbed her arm and swatted her hand, scolding her in a sharp tone. "I have told you, no running in the market place! Do you not listen?! Who are you playing with anyway that has you giggling so?!" Violet's eyes were glassy with tears as she looked back at Jacan.
Jacan felt her mother's eyes burning holes into his soul. She gasped and grabbed Violet, pulling her close to her. "Violet! We do NOT associate with bastard as this one!" She dragged Violet behind her into the crowded city leaving Jacan alone once again.
"Would you stop doing that!?" Now, fifteen year old Violet said, playfully nudging Jacan. He came back to reality, hearing all the noices of the busy streets. "Huh?"
"You keep staring off! You look like a looney when you do so!" She laughed the cutest laugh. "What were you thinking of Jacan?"
Jacan ran his fingers through his blonde hair and smiled. His cheeks got rosey red. "I was thinking of when we were young and we use to play chase in the streets."
Violet's eyes lit up with the memory and she smiled. "Ah, yes. And I ran into that man!"
"Yes! And then your..." Jacan stopped himself. Violet's smile faded. She put her head on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have.." Jacan held up his hand.
"Do not apologize in your mother's place. That wicked woman irriates my very being."
Violet nodded, understanding. Suddenly, she heard her name being called by her mother over the noices of the streets. She hopped up off the ground and said goodbye to Jacan. "The wicked call upon me." Their laughture combined as she ran into the crowded streets.
Jacan rose from the ground and dusted himself off. He bagan walking through the streets being bumped steadily. He walked back to his mother, Phoebe Adams. Phoebe rose from her stool storming to her son. "Did you find work?" She asked rubbing her sore hands from the constant sewing. Jacan shook his head.
"Damnit, Jacan!" She scolded. Jacan flinched at his mother's anger but he understood. He and his mother were poor. His mother didn't have many talents and they were in need of money. They constantly moved homes. Right now, they lived with the old woman Ruth Mcgurney. Jacan was the only child of Phoebe after the death of her lover Edwin. Jacan knew nothing of his father. Only his name.
Phoebe rubbed her wrinkled forehead. "Go split wood Jacan. Put it on the fire. It's getting cold." Jacan did as he was told and went to split wood. With one swift smooth motion he cut each peice of wood. Finally he had enough to fill his arms and carried it inside to his mother.
His mother was intensly focused on her sewing. She needed to finish this blouse to get them money for food. Jacan silently loaded some of the wood onto the dying fire. He sat and watched the flames lick around the wood. Suddenly, without thought, Jacan asked a question he had asked many times. "Mother, who is my father?" Phoebe stopped sewing for only a second then went back to work. She sighed and replied "I have told you son, his name was Edwin. Now, ask no more. Can you not see your mother is working? Tomorrow you will look for work again. Understood?" Jacan nodded. He had been sent to look for work for years now. Really, all he had done is seen his friend Violet.
