Thoughts of the Future

[Banshee Simmons]

Pretend to be a widow.

Could Banshee pull off such an elaborate lie? It would involve new clothes, which she couldn't afford. The young woman bit her lip, looking down again. "Don't know if I could successfully masquerade that. And I wouldn't be able to get my siblings out. How much is passage to London?"

These were things she really had to worry about, be concerned for. Could she make passage to London? Could she masquerade as a young widow?

"Could you help me?"

  

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

He looked at the girl, ruefully, trying to discern if this was some sort of trick. He had heard, or rather read of the ruses that sometimes prostitutes went to to avoid plying their wares, and often opted for robbery or something similar. He wondered if perhaps he would say yes, reveal a handful of galleons and some common law husband of hers would appear from the shadows and kick seven shades out of him.

'how do you mean?' he asked her, making sure out keep the wariness out of his voice, if she was telling the truth he didnt want to be cruel.

  

[Banshee Simmons]

"I mean advice. How would I go about it, do what you're saying I should?" she said simply. There was nothing she could come up with otherwise - money wasn't the first thing on her mind. Sure, it was there, but she figured she could get there. Eventually. Hopefully before she started to show. "How?"

How is it possible that a girl like me can pull off an elaborate ruse like this? she thought to herself. It was her best shot at getting off of the street.

  

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

He gave a rather gruff sniff and rolled his shoulders back, it seemed, after all to be a genuine request. 'Well like you just go,' he said, he had met a young woman once who had done it, moved up from London to Hogsmeade to hide a bastard birth and a life of shame in the city. She had hung out in the inn, and whens he got drunk she would tell everyone what she had done to escape - which seemed to Nate to rather defeat the purpose, but she had problems beyond her poverty.

'You take yourself to London, where no one would know you, cut ties with here, and present yourself at a factory, or a big house asking for work as a newly widowed woman, left alone at the worst possible time. ' he explained in a slightly dramatic tone, 'That way your little'un doesnt grow up with the stigma either.'

  

[Banshee Simmons]

Banshee gave a soft laugh. "But doesn't that involve new clothes? Not to mention travel there in the first place. I'll need new clothes anyway, to accommodate for him or her," she said, before taking another bite of cheese and chewing it slowly, thoughtfully. She wanted to go. Oh, how she wanted to go.

"Are you sure London's the best place? I...I haven't left Hogsmeade in years...and it's such a quaint little community." She sighed some, biting the inside of her lip. "I don't know anymore."

  

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

'Not at all lass' - he explained, 'You wouldn't be a middle class widow, you'd still be poor love, or maybe the folks at the church could provide new clothes if you said you were turning over a new leaf. If you got yourself a job in one of those big houses, you'd have somewhere to raise a bairn, and money to provide for them.'.

He looked out over the little village which they both lived and shrugged, 'This place isnt good if you have a bad reputation, everyone knows everyones business, but a big city like London, you could be anyone you wanted, someone new.' he added solemly.

  

[Banshee Simmons]

"But I need clothes that won't explode as I get...bigger," she said softly. "Maybe I don't need to wear mourning clothes, but I need to accommadate him, or her." She rubbed her hand over her corsetted belly, biting her lip. "I'll have to stop wearing the corset soon enough."

Oh, that was going to be strange. Walking around without a corset. Her dress would barely fit her. "Do you know anywhere else I could go?"

  

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

Nate couldn't have provided her with a new wardrobe even if he had been so inclined. He had barely the funds to clothe himself never mind starting to support every waif and stray that he came across. 'the church would provide you with clothes luv' he commented as though the option was obvious, after all more than once he had been forced to go to the church, either in irvingly, or further afield to prevail of parish relief. it hadn't done much for his pride but he was not ashamed either. 'Church won't see you short, and if you tell them you're a widow they wont ask questions about the baby, if they even notice.'

More than once he had seen destitute mothers, widows, penniless and shoeless, prevailing on the parish right alongside himself and his brothers

  

[Banshee Simmons]

"And maybe the church could point me in the direction of further assistance," Banshee said softly, picking at her dress with a single chewed fingernail. "That'd make sense, yeah? If they're supposed to be helping people, then maybe they know who else can help."

She closed her eyes. She knew how to lie, how to steal, but could she set herself straight for the first time in her life? Even her mother had been a prostitute, and look at her now, still destitute. Could she do this?

"Yes, I can," she replied aloud to her own unvoiced, rhetorical question. "Thank you, for your advice and for the meal. Who knows, next we meet I might have a real job or something."

  

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

'Fingers crossed lass!' he said with a glad smile. He reached inot his bag and pulled out the ham hock, potatoes and a box of 6 eggs he had intended for his own dinner, it would mean another trip to the shops, but it would be worth it. 'Take this home, see the little'uns fed well tonight' he held them out to her.

'Take care lass, hope the future finds you better fortune.' he said with a pleasant smile, then swinging his bag and broom onto his shoulder he started once again for home.

(you can get a last post in if you like but I think we are donesville)