Tulips

Johanne 2

Johanne grounded the herbs against the table rhythmically. The low voices of her sons and their father came into earshot, the sun was low over the flat horizon.

"Is those the herbs," Gidie said wiping the sweat of his dusty forehead, his face enlightened with commotion.

Johanne nodded; she poured the green dust into a small bag. She set it aside and began scrubbing her hands from a bucket at their feet.

"You don't need to do this Johanne." He tried to crouch down and meet her eye, but he winced in pain and relented to standing.

"Yes, I do." she stood up. "Look at us Gidie! We're sending our ten-year olds on to fields to work so that they don't starve. You can barely walk sometimes from your hip because you couldn't take any time off for it to heal after your accident. And you still have to work through the pain. And Angelique..." Johanne's eyelashes fluttered over her hazel eyes, she wouldn't cry, she won't cry. Gidie tucked her red hair behind her ear, he knew what she meant to say.

It had been over a year since their daughter had died, her sickness, the particularly long and cold winter, and it could have been preventable with medicine they couldn't afford.

Johanne's face "They sit in that palace and watch us starve," foulness infected her speech. "And now we can do something, instead of just letting them beat us further down into destitution."

Gidie nodded. He looked her wife, she was still beautiful after everything, her ginger hair maintained its shine.

"It's here!" Roul voice echoed outside the shack, his eyes sparked restlessness. "Jo, it's here!" he crowed his head through the door. Johanne and Gidie exchanged a look as they filed outside. Roul unwrenched the crate, inside was the embroidered cream fabric.

"It sure looks expensive enough?" Gidie asked, examining the dress.

"It's happening, I mean it's really happening," Roul dodged round and kissed his sister on the cheek.

She smiled, a group of others had gathered, most of them were clued into the plan. Gidie chuckled, Johanne joined in with a laugh. Nothing was humorous, it was hilarity of satisfaction. They were finally getting some payback.