20 October 2012
Early December 1850 somewhere near London
Just a week or so after their meeting with Mr Finstonesen, Phillipa and Zophar were handed their last payment and asked to leave. They huddled outside the factory with the other four workers as they watched the factory doors being closed for the last time. It had already snowed and it was beginning to melt leaving just slush lining pavement. This seemingly dampened the mood more so. Zophar tried, for days after that, to secure a job. But with the population at its peak, many others were doing the same thing. Zophar found himself being beaten to it many times. The family were living on whatever they had bought with the small amount of money that Zophar and Phillipa had earned. After a couple of weeks there was almost no food left. One night Phillipa found that she couldn't sleep. She was cold, hungry and restless. She climbed out of her bed in the attic and began to descend down the stairs. She could hear voices below. Her parents sounded very serious so she stopped to listen. "How am I supposed to support this family with no job? We were meant to be giving Phillipa a good go at life. Not having her sitting here twiddling her thumbs. Seeing her father fail!" "I know! But what can I do?" "I didn't say that you have to do anything, I'm just asking how we can sort this out?" "Well, at least it is coming up to Christmas, that should lighten our moods!" "We can't afford food let alone Christmas!" Phillipa rushed back to her bed. "No Christmas" she thought to herself in dismay. That would be awful. To a ten year old child Christmas is the highlight of the year…
The Primocoggler Part 3 • Opuss № I