Oh! My Darling

Vallín Family

In a very distant kingdom, there were some villages that were well frequented by the inhabitants of nearby villages and visitors from neighboring lands, as well as by travelers arriving at the port.

For the visitors who came, they were welcomed by one of the richest villages in the province, and this village was known for its commerce, whether of food or cloth, everything could be found as long as it had the king's authorization.

There was the village where the scholars were centered that was known for its beautiful buildings, and it was said that they lived in clans, but who could say since nothing about this was ever confirmed.

And the most important was the village where the direct relatives of the royalty were, composed of dukes, counts, princes, and their descendants, a rich and prosperous village that everyone wanted to visit, however, common people only passed through these streets with a kind of pass, this being a way that the king found so that his relatives could live peacefully.

However, life for the poorest people who lived far from these three villages was much more difficult, having to wake up at cockcrow time to catch the Wagon that would bring them to the richer villages where they could work. However, there was one family that was considered poor without having even a handful of rice to cook at mealtime.

Before the rooster crowed, the elders were already awake to catch a ride in the wagon that would take them to village two, where the scholars lived. Irene and her younger sister, only fifteen years old, would start at a job their parents had arranged so that they could save the money for their dowry in the future.

The oldest of the sisters had a dream, a bit improbable for the reality in which they lived, however, her hope never died even in the face of the difficulty she encountered, while the youngest was a troublemaker in which everyone claimed she was born with a problem and would never find a husband, because she acted in the wrong way for a lady, but this did not discourage her or make her feel sad about who she was.

While Carlota slept peacefully, not caring that she would start work today, Irene the older sister who had just turned twenty was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her father before he went to work, it wasn't much just bread with milk with garage.

She did not agree with the work her mother did, waking up so early and going to village two to work as a servant for a doctor's wife, because they always mistreated her like words and beating her to show their children that they should not make future mistakes otherwise they could be in her place and be beaten until they learned, it was sad, but that was the reality of the servants who had a family and lived in village six.

Anyway that morning Irene was very hopeful for her new jobs and how she could help her mother buy her freedom, however, there was something that made her unhappy, and that was because her father did not tell her and her sister where they would work.

- Wake up, Charlotte, or we'll miss the three thirty wagons. - Irene went into the room she shared with her younger sister and called out to her, she went to the piece of mirror she found while washing clothes and began to rub rice on her face to make it whiter than it already was, after a bit she took the grains of annatto and mixed it with a little water to get the paint and rub it in her mouth and then wiped a bit with the paper to soften the color, making it as natural as possible.

She looked once more and was happy that she looked so beautiful, but this joy passed when she saw that her sister was still sleeping even after her gentle attempt to wake her up.

She got up and went to where her sister was sleeping, as they couldn't afford a bed or anything, they slept on a cotton blanket their mother had made and kicked her sister and made her roll over and open her eyes. - Wake up, Charlotte. We're late because of you, hurry up, because I don't want to lose this job and give up my singing career because of you.

- Opening her eyes, Charlotte had a little trouble getting used to the light from the lamp Irene had placed on a small table where her things were kept. Looking around she realized she was in the room she shared with her older sister, actually, it wasn't really a room because there wasn't one in the house, and since they couldn't afford to build any rooms on the land, so they only shared it with banana tree fabrics that they had made themselves, in total it was two rooms and a kitchen, the bathroom was outside even so if it rained they would have to bathe in the rain without any protectio.

- What time is it? - Carlota asked her sister, who was pulling the blankets that covered her, in order to put them away.

- You only have five minutes to get ready and leave. - She lied, because that was the only way she could get the other one to get out of the blanket she was trying to take from her sister to make a roll and tie it up and put it away.

- What? I must have overslept again, I'm sorry. - She got out of bed and grabbed the dress she had separated the day before and put it on, it was a simple dress, but it was her best clothes, she left her sister in the room and ran to the backyard, where she would do her morning hygiene brushing her teeth with a mixture of coal and soap that her mother had made two days ago that helped to leave the teeth clean and white, leaving the teeth at first black and completely ugly, however after brushing her mouth a few times her teeth were completely clean and white.

- Ruby, come on, Daddy's waiting for us outside. - As Irene had already finished getting ready, she called her sister who was outside the house, while she stood at the door with the lamp in her hand trying to protect her from the cold wind outside.

- Where's Mom? - Carlota asked, she never saw her mother properly, when the woman came home from work it was late at night, and she was very sleepy waiting for her and in the morning she always left very early.

- She took a ride with her neighbor who went to see the doctor. In addition, the lady she serves told her that she should arrive early because she would be receiving a delivery of fabrics to make new clothes for the young ones. - Irene spoke to her sister, who looked outside while she wiped her face with soap. - So this time she will send old clothes so that mother can dress us for the winter.

- She paused to splash some water on her face and wash all the foam off her face. - I hope she doesn't send those men's clothes this time, because I had to cut and sew them all to make them more feminine.

- She exclaimed her frustration with the clothes her mother got from the lady she was serving. - I hope you have finished your whining, now come on, this carriage is going to village three and we can't miss it.

- Irene was already in agony, because she didn't like to arrive at the last minute at the point where she would catch the carriage, but as everything in her life was complicated and whenever she arrived at the place there were already many people waiting, even if she woke up early there was always someone there before her.

When she saw that her sister was leaving, Charlotte ran into the house with a wet face, grabbed a towel that was on the wooden stool her father made from an orange tree and wiped her face, before leaving she took her clothes and put them in a bag and went to the table of her sister's things and passed some of the orchid water to give it a nice smell.

When she left the improvised room she passed by the kitchen and got a piece of wheat bread and went towards the front door of the house, arriving there she saw that her sister was at the door with a sulky face, as if this was a new thing, since Irene always got sulky when she delayed leaving the house, although sometimes it was understandable as today she woke up late and was late to catch the wagon that would take them to the nearest village where they would work.

- Finally, let's go. - Irene was ready to leave home and begin her dream by working where she would have the chance to be known for her talents, but what had everyone worried was if Irene would be able to get married after her husband found out that she wanted to become famous and sing for others as well as dance, despite these doubts that her mother and father had the woman didn't care since before she became engaged to a stranger she always wanted to fulfill her dream.

As they left the house and began to walk towards the place where they would take the only existing means of transportation, Carlota kept thinking about what it would be like when she was her sister's age, for now she was only fifteen and couldn't even work, but luckily her parents managed to keep this hidden from the king's officials. Irene was happy that she was no longer working, selling fruits and vegetables that she and her sister grew in their backyard, which wasn't much, but it helped with the taxes they paid at the change of seasons.

Now her life would change in a way that she could not explain how it happened, and a thought came to her mind, that if she was as good as she imagined she could be chosen to go to the palace and who knows become a dancer for the king having all the luxury and privileges she dreamed of, but it was all just a dream since the destiny that would guide her to an uncertain future full of doubts and choices.

- The father's blessing. - Carlota asked for the blessing even after remembering that she will forget when she saw him at the door minutes ago, he is as far as he was concerned just looked at the girl and blessed her continuing to walk without showing what he really felt.

The man was sad, for not only one daughter was leaving home, but both were going to work in a drinking house, one dancing and singing while the other stayed out of sight of the king's officials, he and his wife were poor and could not afford to send them to a school and maybe have a different destiny than his, but what he could do now was to find a good marriage for Irene who was already nineteen and old enough to marry, which would make things a little complicated, but he would manage.

- Father, where am I going to work? - Carlota asked the man, who seemed to be thinking about what he would say.

- You will work with your sister in the same place.- After saying this he looked at his two daughters who looked at each other and did not like what he just said.

- Why? - They both asked at the same moment. Irene was furious for having a sister like Carlota, she did not want to work in the same place as her younger sister, because she would get in her way as usual, meddling where she was not called.

What no one knew was that although she loved her sister initially after they grew up, Irene began to hate her because Carlota was better than her at some things, besides that, the young girl was only fifteen years old, and her beauty was unmatched having white skin even when sunbathing while working in the vegetable garden, her hair was large and her eyes had a wild glow that enchanted when she was in a dance.

Irene had an ordinary beauty, but her eyes were the same as her mother's, being greenish, which was very attractive when she painted her hair with make-up. Unlike Carlota's, her hair was blonde, and her skin was a little yellowish, she was a copy of her mother while her sister was like her father.

What made Irene a little happy was that Carlota liked to dress like a boy and her hair was always hidden in the veil that all virgin women wore, which was unnecessary when the woman got married.

- Why don't you get her a job somewhere else, that place is not for a child. - Irene let her anger show as she spoke to her father without looking at her sister.

The man squinted his eyes as if reading his daughter and realizing that she didn't like her sister, but he would still stand by his decision, whether he accepted it or not.

- Because you know that I don't approve of you going to LORDITA alone. - The man spoke seriously to the young woman, who turned her face away and began to walk away from her father and brother. - Irene, your sister will work at the same place as you, because I don't trust her to work anywhere else, besides, your mother and I know the owner. - The man tried to explain, even though he hadn't made much effort to speak the real reason for sending them to that place. Carlota, who heard everything, was happy, because her father was protecting her, which was very rare after she had fought with some men who tried to abuse her and her sister at the fruit and vegetable stand.

Although her manner was similar to that of a boy, she only did this as a let-down because she didn't want to go through that again and because she could fool the guards when she had fights that the king did.

- I just hope she doesn't screw it up like she always does. - Irene treasured this work that was about to begin and would not let her younger sister ruin everything. Charlotte, who was listening to everything in silence, realized that she was only a problem for her sister, but she would get better and be like a ghost by not getting in her way or getting involved in any kind of fight, even if it was for a good cause.

- I only do what I think is right, and if I notice any of those men making fun of you, I will hit them, but only if you allow me to, since I will not interfere, but in anything that compromises your future, sister. - As Irene was sulking, thinking that what Carlota said was just a promise without a guarantee, she rolled her eyes in disgust. The man, seeing that his eldest daughter still looked displeased, spoke up.

- Irene, you must take care of your sister in my or your mother's absence, and stop this senseless jealousy. - The man spoke in a louder tone, attracting the attention of those waiting for the cart.

- Father why don't you see that Carlota doesn't suit that place look at her and tell me how she looks, even in these old dresses she is still as ugly as the boys in the village. - The man had had enough of Irene and her picking on her sister and without patience spoke up.

- Irene comes to not see that her is young, besides, you think it's so wrong the way she dresses, so give her some of your dresses and help her look more like you. - He was stern in his tone of voice and made Irene stop picking on him for the moment. - Irene I worry about you my child, you should be married by now at your age, and yet we are still waiting for the merchant's son, who is your fiancé, to come and marry you, but what will he say when he finds out that his wife is dancing in a liquor house with many men, being soldiers and rich merchants. - Irene was thoughtful, but then looked at her sister.

- You should stay away from me when we're working and don't tell anyone you're my sister, and don't dress up like me, and stay uglier than you already are so no man will be interested in you. - Irene said feeling superior.

- Father? - Irene realized that her father was upset and kept his daughter's distance, she approached him in a sweet and serene voice as she used to do so that her parents would forgive her. - I'm sorry father I know you said unpleasant things, but my dream is just to be a dancer and who knows, maybe I can go to the palace, our life would change and you and mom could live quietly as you always dreamed. - The man understood everything, and certainly he didn't mean to speak to his dear daughter that way, but he doesn't like to see his sisters fighting.

After they climbed into the wagon, it took about two hours of traveling for the sisters to say goodbye to their father. Before they reached their destination the man looked at his two daughters, that moment was sad, and he did not want to see them grow up so fast, and now they would go to work and be far away from their parents.

- You two be sensible and take care of each other in my absence. - The man could not be strong and let a few tears run down his face as he hugged his two daughters. There wasn't much he could do to keep them at home away from the malicious looks of the men who frequented the drinking house, but he was confident that they would be able to protect themselves and keep their faces covered until they were married otherwise it could be a disappointment to the family and end up damaging the marriage of the other if one of them showed her face before the wedding to one or more strangers, with this thought he took the only savings he could scrape together it was little, but it would give them enough to pay their way home if they needed to.

- Dad, you don't need that much. - Irene said when she saw that in the bag there were a few silver coins, it wasn't a large fortune but for her family it was, and they could probably get by with that money for a few months, so she decided to refuse, he and his mother were old and might need to buy some medicine in the absence of their daughters. Carlota who was watching everything in silence noticed that the man was sad that his daughter had refused his money, maybe because she was embarrassed that it was too little, she thought that maybe he was having this thought and for this reason she decided that she would take the money just to make him feel better, however, she would still return it at the end of the month when she returned home.