The next morning I woke and had breakfast and headed off to work. But this day was different because Inna and I had to help Sam on his first day as a collector. The boys had to help Steve who became a builder and that would be difficult.
We headed off on our 5km walk to where we go get the food. We always make conversation on our way and it is even better to make conversation with an Australian. There are six of us, Sam, Vlad, Dina, Inna, Alisa and myself are on our way to collection point C. We make conversation all the way.
“I had to ask, why do you all live in an orphanage when you all have a parent?” Sam asked with great curiosity.
“We start working as builders when we are three years old and from then on we have to live in an orphanage together. When we are 5 years old we are assigned another job, there is about 20 collectors, all going to a different area to get the food.” Inna answered
“So you live with your parents until you’re three. Then why have I see several babies and that there?”
It is true there are about 4 children under the age of three and Alisa explains why. “Well as you know a lot of us get raped and that. Well two of the girls got pregnant from that and the other two were babies of girls who slept with men quite a bit and fell pregnant from that. I mean sure, I have sex but I’m careful not to fall pregnant, we all are.”
“Alright… so what all the girls act like that?”
“Most of them, I have, Inna has, I’m not sure about Naty.” She says looking at me curiously. I shake my head in response because I never have, I’ve never wanted to. I mean I’m only 15.
“Alright. Anyway, what’s with the king and that?”
“Oh I will answer this one!” Said Inna. “The king started ruling years ago, he went against the Russian government and they tried so hard to stop him but it was no use so they gave Beridia they wish and made them independent from the rest of Russia and made other countries agree to leave them alone. Whoever enters Beridia without consent gets taken, like you, and there is nothing they can do about it. We cannot leave, we have the assistance of medical aids outside of the town we can go to, but there are guard guarding it to make sure we do not leave. The kings really not all that bad, his son is worse!” At this we all roll our eyes and groan. “Grigory, the Prince! He is awful! He is your average 15 year old boy – wanting girls –but he has power, so he can get them easier. He still has not got the one he really wants though.” She says this looking at me.
“He has wanted Natalya since he was 10 years old!” Alisa continues. “Every time he goes into the town he waits around for her until she is finished work. It is quite creepy!”
“He wants to bone her!” Shouted Inna, who then got punch in the arm, by me.
“You are disgusting! And if he ever tries I will cut his little cock off and shove it up his bum!” I said in response. Sam and Vlad move slowly away from me covering their areas while us girls laughed.
Sam comes back over laughing with Vlad. “You know, I’d heard so much about this place in school and on the news, but they make it out to be horrible. People always dying and starving, working 24/7 no fun, people dying from illness and being no help. No laughter or games.”
“We have heard those new people make our city out to be worse than it is. It is mostly the American and Australian armies who cause most of the destruction. It would be much easier if they just left our city in peace.” Said Dina with great innocence in her eyes.
Our 5km walk felt so much quicker than it normally was – even though it still took us the usual hour - but I did not want it to end because from now on it was so much harder.
