posted
Let me tell you a little about myself. I am 14 years old and I am an orphan. For the past 4 years I have worked in the mines. I'm not what you would call your typical miner. All the other orphans that come here are bigger and have more muscle then I do. I don't actually do any of the mining. My job is to crawl in tunnels that no one else can get through. I go where no one else can go since I'm much skinnier then the other miners.
I've never liked my job. I suffer from a slight case of claustrophobia so if I ever get stuck, which is often, I panic. I have come to love the winters, for that is the time the miners leave the mountains, and I go back to the orphanage for a few months. While there, William teaches me and the other boys about...well, everything. I hope to one day leave here to see the world that William describes to us.
[This message has been edited by ? (edited August 30, 2008).]
posted
Oh, Ethan, you poor thing. I'd love to take you in but my eldest is just now discovering boys... her daddy wouldn't like that.
Are there any prospects for adoption? What is it like with all of those other children? Do they fight a lot? Does the Department of Labor know about y'all working in the mines? I can tip them off if you want me to. That's not legal. How do they get away with that? If they don't follow child labor laws, please tell me they at least pay you minimum wages.
By all sorts of stuff, do you mean you are learning high school geomotry and biology as a boy your age should be? What kinds of things are you learning? What is your favorite subject?
posted
If your worried about your daughter, just don't adopt any of the other boys in the mine. I don't know what everything they say means, but it does sound bad.
As for adoption, that won't happen. That's not the type of orphanage I'm in. (so I guess you can't adopt the other miner boys anyway) The orphanage brings kids in from all over. The surrounding mines, farms and sailors all pay to keep the orphanage going, in return, the orphanage sends their kids to work for each of these people, then return when work is scarce. We get fed and I'll start getting paid when I'm 17. I'll probably be farming by then cause I'll be to big to crawl around the tunnels, but not strong enough to mine. This is a common system in our country. What's a Department of Labor?
I don't like the other children in the mines with me. They all pick on me. I don't mind the other ones that farm and sail. They're nicer.
William taught us how to read and write. He lets me choose a book to take back to the mines each spring. I can do some math. We've started learning science and the history of Illan. I love hearing about the big cities, the kings and queens and the wars they have.
As long as I'm not in the mines the rest of my life, I'll be happy with whatever I do. Farming would be nice cause all the orphan girls do that. I don't see any of them during the mining months.
[This message has been edited by ? (edited August 28, 2008).]
posted
Well, it sounds awful. What do the mines you work in, mine? Besides children?
Do you remember your family? Did you have any siblings? Is there a special place you go inside yourself when the other boys are picking on you? How do you cope with everything? Is there a specific young farming girl who has drawn your attention to being a farmer when you get older? How does your orphanage place you boys into mines or farms or ships? Do you have a friend there, besides your teacher?
posted
How did you meet William? How old is William? Is he your boss?
Have you ever been outside the mines?
It sounds like you're really into the girls. Anyone in particular catch your eye?
Wow, you have clausterphobia and yet you have to squeeze into tunnels. How do you manage? What do you do if a panic hits you? And what's on the other end of these tunnels?
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