[ding ding]

She heard the bell tolling far off as she washed him clean.  How did boys always manage to get dirt ground so deeply into everything?

He lay there quietly with no complaints, just as he always did.  Why even as a babe he never voiced a complaint.  She could remember the older ones… they would pull and tug at just being bothered with… not this one… not her little Josiah.

[ding ding]

His ride was getting closer so she needed to hurry… he couldn’t go out half dressed now could he?  As she rushed to dress him her mind wandered, remembering all the times she’d heard him laugh.

Why it seemed just yesterday he was still suckling her breast, and now look at him… grown so big.  He would make a fine man!

She gazed around the hovel they called home where until now she had never seen the dirt.  She had never stopped to notice the filth they lived in… it was all she knew… all any of them knew.

[ ding ding ]

She grabbed him up and rushed out through the flap that served as a door.  She was just in time.

“Hello Robert, good day to ya.”

“Mariana, bringing us another one I see.”

“Yes… he’s as ready as he’ll be I suppose.”

“Well let me help him up then.”

“It’s all right Robert… I can manage.”

“Good day then Mariana.”

“And to you and yours Robert.”

[ding ding]

A single tear dropped from her face as she heard Robert cry out his duty.

“Bring out your dead!”