INTRO:
#Warning:
This is not a regular Cinderella story
*somewhere in my fictional world in 1708 *
The sweet aroma of fresh lemon bread, cookies, and cakes beams out from the baker's shop window.
It was mid morning and the sun was about to dazzle out in its full force, as Jaylyn finished her last delivery, placing the tray pan on the cake display.
"Oh Jaylyn dear, you.... such a darling, "
Mrs Stale, her employer, praised her.
It's been two years since Jaylyn started working for Mrs Stale, at this place she had learnt all she needed to open her own bakery. To achieve her dream, she saved every penny she gets.
Jaylyn was grateful that her dead mother had a friend like Mrs Stale. As the other workers returned from their delivery, news made round that her father had collapsed at the market square in Ravengate Bar pub.
She rushed out to rescue her father from causing her more shame,using her present day pay, one she had mentally removed from her future savings.
For the past three years, she had started saving to free herself from her father and leave the village to follow her dreams to own her own bakery.
She beckons the village wheelbarrow man to help her carry her father up from his misery as he lied down outside the pub's door, where he had obviously been kicked out.
Jaylyn didn't fail to notice the signs of disgust, pity, and sympathy the villagers threw at her.
"This is nothing new.. ", she reminded herself.
she was no longer that weak child that needed sympathy, care or love, gone were those days she hides her face in shame.
It was no news that she was tagged unfortunate. A young child with a dead mother and a disowned father who cares less about her, a lesson she learnt almost after her father's near escape from ex communication from the church. If not for the help and plea from Mr Stale and his wife who were distant relatives to the priest of their town. Despite all the effort to make her father repent from his wrong doings , he was still adamant, stubborn and selfish, he kept on drinking and disgracing her the more.
"What can one do in this situation"?
She asked no one in particular
"honor thee father! "So says the bible.
The wheelbarrow man helped her carry him inside and gently placed him on the crooked bed that has almost fallen apart in pieces.
"Miss, you better call him a doctor," he instructed.
"He looks really bad."
He left after collecting his pay.
She locked the Battened Doors, exhausted she squats behind the door and cried her heart out.
After a while, she wiped the sweat off his face with warm water from the wooden dough bowl, undressed and properly cleaned him up with a towel.
"He will be better in the morning ".
**************************
It's been three days now, no sign of recovery, Jaylyn's father hasn't even blinked his eyes.
The fever has taken over his body. Jaylyn felt lost, with no money to call on a doctor, no one would even help them, even if she knelt by their door till the next morning. She rushed over to the Stales' house as fast as her legs could carry her.
"Mr Stale!, Mr Stale!!, "
she called out his name, knocking heavily on their door.
"Who is that?
A deep voice asked from inside.
'Ohh stop, the noise! am coming, "
As Jaylyn narrated her situation to him,
Mr Stale was not a fan of her father and hated him like the others but he was a good man, he took pity on Jaylyn and agreed to help her.
Jaylyn was grateful that the Stales has yet again saved her in her time of need.
When the doctor arrived, he was diagnosed with lung disease at its deadly stage.
The doctor was surprised he had even lived up to this point. With the news of her father's death being inevitable, Jaylyn's spirit was completely shattered, once again she will lose another parent, the zeal to cry had already left her cause her emotions were at conflict with each other.
She didn't know whether to cry for she was about to lose her father or be grateful to soon be free from repeated disgrace and shame.
The Stale family tried to calm her down and cheer her up. Jacob, their eldest son, who was her dearest and only friend gave her, his shoulder to cry on.
The warning glaze from his mother made her distance herself.
Mrs Stale had helped her in so many ways, for food, clothes, and money, she couldn't risk losing her trust even when it comes to the man after her heart.
Last winter, Jacob had started showing her sign of love and affection no one had ever dared to care, Jaylyn was overjoyed and accepted him wholeheartedly, it was the first time anyone had ever shown her love.
Jacob had always helped and supported her.
Their friendship brought so many murmurs and gossip. Town folks who made it their source of daily gossip carried ill-mannered news around, warning the Stales to distance their son from being unfortunate like her father who had married a slave and lost his birthright to his brother.
Jaylyn thought that Mrs Stale would overlook the news, since she never liked gossip but she was wrong. That Sunday evening, Jaylyn was on her way to help her clean and wash all their clothes and earn a little pay, even get herself some worn out clothes from Mrs Stale's daughter. She found the back door opened ,Mrs Stale was having a serious conversation with someone, eavesdropping was something she had boldly condemned but when she heard her name, she stopped to listen. It was Mrs Martha, their next door neighbor telling Mrs Stale all about the bad reputation her family had gathered throughout their years of existence, how her mother's ill-moral action cost her father his inheritance and if Jaylyn continued to see her eldest son Jacob, the misfortune could affect them. Stating that her misfortune fate was tied to that of her dead mother.
Jaylyn didn't stay on to listen as she ran all the way home and cried her heart out. Mrs Stale was a kind woman who had taken pity on her but she knew that no matter how one shows kindness, they can never allow their family name to be soiled by gossip and speculations. A week after the eaves dropping incident, Jacob got engaged to Miss Cherry Bowman, a well trained and groomed girl, his mother's choice for him. Then Jaylyn knew that she had finally been left alone in this world.
After a few nights, her father finally woke up, knowing his end was near, he kept pleading for forgiveness, for being useless and how he had never cared for her ever since her mother died.
Jaylyn hugged him and promised to take care of him during his final moments. On the fourth night, he asked her for an ink and two papers. As soon as he was done, she posted both letters in the post office.
