Hello and my name is Maria and I am struggling as a single mom. My husband had passed away after my child’s first birthday from fighting a nearby village. He had a sword go right through his heart, a friend of his mentioned to me. Ever since this tragedy, things have not been the same. It is very difficult for me to feed my child and still watch over our house. I also have high hopes for our child, as I want him to go to school and hopefully avoid being drafted to become a soldier. I would not want him to have the same fate as his father. I also want him to start a family and be able to enjoy spending time with his kids. Winter is coming soon and I am still not sure how I will take care of little Nicholas.
Aside from the tough life I lead, it is my dream to break free from my shell and make something of my life. I would have loved if I had the opportunity to have fought in the army instead of my husband. I have troubling thoughts in my brain that propel me to move forward and attempt to make a better life for myself. I only dream of getting an education, but I know under my living conditions, it is almost certainly impossible. The only work that is left for me in this world is to cook, make clothing, and raise my son.
The ladies in the village have been talking to me recently and discussing the possibility of finding me another man. I loved my husband but at this point, I feel like I need a man just to make it through the day. My garden is getting overfilled and the trees need to be uprooted or else they risk collapse. My son will be growing up without a father and I feel like he should have a strong make figurehead in his life to show him the ropes of life. Theresa is attempting to set me up with William, who had become a widower quite recently after his wife had given birth to a little girl. I feel sorrow for those women who do not get to experience raising a child and holding their child in their arms after such a long period of carrying. However, William is also going through a tough time. He must raise the little girl all by himself. I think it would not be too great of an idea to combine our families, but Theresa has been really worried about me lately and says that both William and I could benefit from such unity. He could help me around the house and be a father figure for my son and I could cook and clean for him and his daughter. At this point in my life, I doubt there is any other choice for me. Maybe I’ll even have some time to spare and form a class in the village that can teach women archery. I’ve always wanted to learn archery and I feel like it’s about time women also got involved in things outside of the kitchen. For now I guess all I can hope for is the best.