The Life Of Lizzy Red

Chapter 2:

Every so often there was a 'talk of the town'. Some days where people would talk of something new coming to the town that had really grabbed their attention, or that another person just died from the mumps or murder.

I hadn't heard much about anything for a while there, until today. I had decided to go out with a few of the other girls from our Bordello to the market and buy fresh fruit for snacking on later. I walked through the streets, my hair done up in a usual loose up-do. My dress long in the back but short in the front, exposing up to my thighs so everyone who looked could see my boots that covered my knees.

The usual attention was given, Mothers would urge their boys to turn the other way or she'd smack them in the head for staring. Grown men hooted and would occasionally follow us for a while until they came to their senses and walked in the other direction.
"whores!"
"heathens!"
Were some of the things spat at us by some men and women alike. Left and right, but we didn't care. We always laughed in the faces of the poor peasants that ate corn for breakfast and dinner every morning.
Once at the market, we gathered our fruits and roots and left, as simple as that.
We traveled back to the house as quickly as we had gotten there and headed inside. We began peeling and slicing the peaches and pears in a circle at the island in the kitchen. I noticed that as I was cutting, I could feel Sister Mary's eyes on me. "What is it Sister?" I said aloud without looking up from my work.
She stopped slicing her fruit and looked up at me.

"I hate to trouble you, but could you please go out back and fold the white sheets on the line? We all suck at folding and-"

"Why do we even have to fold them anyways? They're going on our beds again" Sister Anne interrupted like she was agitated.

"It teaches to be more tidy is all..."

Sister Anne just looked at her for a moment then continued to cut her pears, along with everyone else who had stopped to listen to what they thought would be an argument. Sister Anne and Sister Mary were not always on the best of terms when it came to agreeingon things, but they did treat eachother just like sisters.

"I'll be back momentarily." I announced and turned to the door behind me and walked outside, closing the creaky door behind me.
For a few seconds, I had listened to the sounds of birds chirping.
Which I had tracked to a tree directly above me. In a branch high up, was a nest of little yellow birds.
The babies chirped and whistled pleasant songs, awaiting their mothers return.

I smiled and continued to watch, seeing their little heads pop up and look around.
After a few minutes, there was a bird who has tried to flap it's wings and ended up knocking one of its siblings out of the nest and onto the grass a few feet away from me.
I let out a short gasp and ran to the little bird. "What do I do?..." I asked myself, picking up the bird in an almost panic, not wanting the poor thing to die.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
My attention drew above once again to the nest...
I closed my eyes and sighed,
"It's not that far." I quickly tried to convince myself as I started to climb up the old walnut tree, while trying my best to hold this baby bird above my head in my hand.

One handed, I attempted to climb farther and farther up the tree to the nest, grabbing onto as many close branches as I could reach, running on hope I wouldn't fall. At the middle of the tree I found myself right in front of the bird's home.
"There..." I carefully set the fallen bird back into his place. He shook his feathers and settled down besides his nest mates.

"And as for you," I began, pointing at the bird who had pushed his brother from the nest. "Watch it." I laughed, but looking around first to make sure nobody saw me talking to myself.
"Goodbye" I whispered to the babies and attempted to ascend down the tree.