District 10: Hesper Hughes

Sockie Hunter 66 POSTS last seen Sept 18, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -5	District 10: Hesper Hughes Mar 8, 2018 1:34:21 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Sockie on Mar 8, 2018 1:34:21 GMT -5
	Last Edit: Mar 8, 2018 2:44:40 GMT -5 by Sockie

Sockie
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last seen Sept 18, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -5

District 10: Hesper Hughes Mar 8, 2018 2:17:21 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Sockie on Mar 8, 2018 2:17:21 GMT -5

Hesper Hughes                              District 10                              Age 15

My father owns fifty sheep and four children.
    He bought the flock when I was three, so practically all of my memories involve the sheep in the background. The first ten years of my life were extraordinarily relaxed, and most of my time was spent following my eldest brother, Henry, while he led the flock. My mother was responsible for my schooling, but in exchange for having a partner on long and boring shepherding days, Henry did most of the teaching while we were out in the fields. We would set out early in the morning, right before the sun rose, and return as the sun was setting. My other brother, Hansel, stayed home and studied under my parent's gaze. I'll never be certain why Henry escaped their pressure, but whatever it was made me glad. He was more fun. Hansel would snap at us, and before we could snap back my father was already telling us to shut up and go to our rooms.

Helen and I shared a room. She was three years older than me, but liked to act as though she were my second mother. Just not in the nice way. My real mother brushed my hair and packed my lunch and dressed me nice and modestly. My Sister-Mother was bossy,and took my blanket and locked our door and insisted on me constantly checking if Father was awake. I didn't know why it mattered. He came in every few nights and hugged her for an awkwardly long time under the covers but all things considered he was always nicer to her than me, Henry and Hansel combined (and we was really nice to Hansel!). Sometimes I wished Father would hug me, too, but my mother always insisted I never ask.

Insisting. There was always a lot of insisting in my house. My sister insisted I leave the room to get things for her because she never wanted out (awful lazy if you ask me). Hansel insisted I leave him alone. Hansel was always insisting on quiet. My mother insisted I bring books along to read when I went off with Henry. She also insisted on tidy hair and modest clothes and being extra-specially nice to my father. My father wasn't scary to me. He insisted on respect, yes, he insisted on a clean house, but it was nothing I had to worry deeply about. Mother and Helen could clean the house - I was helping Henry all day, and I didn't interact with my father enough to see respect as an issue. The only person who never insisted from me was Henry; he let me run where I wanted and tell as many silly stories as I could come up with.

The first ten years of my life were extraordinarily relaxed. When I was eleven, Henry outgrew the family. He told me he wanted his own flock, and his own new family. I remember when he asked Father some of the sheep to start off on his own. Why shouldn't he have them? For nine years he was their primary chaperone. But instead of what I thought Father would say, there was an argument. More words were exchanged in our house that night that had been for a very long time. How was Father capable of anger? I had never seen him angry. But looking back, I didn't know him then. I didn't see my father enough to see him as issue. That changed.

When Henry left Father hired two men to maintain the flock and forbade me from going with them. I stayed home all day, in the study with my mother and Hansel. Hansel did real work while I stared out the window and watched for passing shepherds. Studying wasn't interesting, but fresh air and grass met me in every dream. Eventually Father let me run errands, once he realised I'd never be as smart as Hansel or as pretty as Helen. I wanted to be pretty. I tried to mimic my sister. I tried to tie my hair in her certain way, and my mother would undo it. I tried to pinch my button nose to point in Helen's way, and my mother would swat at my hands. When Helen cut her hair to her chin, Mother stopped me right before I could chop my long, brown locks into the sink (just like Helen had). When I was a bit older, I tried to switch my high-collared dresses for Helen's pretty loose clothes - I wanted Father to love me as much as her! - but Mother was angry enough to move me into Hansel's room and Hansel into the study. Hansel stopped talking to me after that. Well, after calling me an oblivious ditz.

---------------------------------------------------

I don't think I knew what an oblivious ditz was until I was fourteen, and then it proved even truer (for the time). Helen had my niece last year. She was seventeen, which my mother said was absolutely disgusting. My mother told Hansel and me to tell anyone who asked that the baby was our little sister -- but I would prefer to say she's my niece. It doesn't matter anyway. Once Helen had the baby and left, Hansel and I were the only ones left to interact with Father. Things became more obvious to me. When I was young, Henry took me out away with the sheep. When Henry left, my mother took me out of the way with Hansel's books. It never occurred to me how much father hated Henry. How hard he beat the resignation into Hansel. How much he truly loved Helen. What would be left for his youngest daughter? Longing for something, anything, from him. I didn't need Hansel to tell me how stupid I was to want it. I knew. Because I got it.

Last Edit: Mar 8, 2018 2:45:43 GMT -5 by Sockie

Sockie Hunter 66 POSTS last seen Sept 18, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -5	District 10: Hesper Hughes Mar 8, 2018 2:45:01 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Sockie on Mar 8, 2018 2:45:01 GMT -5

Deleted 0 POSTS last seen Apr 18, 2024 14:01:37 GMT -5	District 10: Hesper Hughes Mar 8, 2018 15:55:14 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2018 15:55:14 GMT -5 "Longing for something, anything, from him. I didn't need Hansel to tell me how stupid I was to want it. I knew. Because I got it." i CHOKED much love <3 welcome to the site!