6 Chapter 6 James memories- Aisha

He sleep entire night like a log, he dream of nothing and he sense nothing, neither did he move from his early sleeping position. If not because of his chest move up and down as he breathing people will think he already dead.

He wake up next morning with heavy body, he feel pain all over his body especially in both of his leg because he keep walking for almost 21 hours. He pick his pickaxe that he receive with his tent from Rashid yesterday and come out from his tent to find a way to get his breakfast.

Lucky for him that, before he wonder far into the camp without direction, Rashid shout at him from behind and show him where the eatery is. That day was the 1st time he eat rough dry bread in his entire life, the loaf of bread taste like cupboard and sand mix together. He end up drinking a lot of water to wash it down.

At the table where he eat his breakfast he make a new friend name Hadi. Hadi was young man age between 20 and 25. His arm was thicker than normal people result of mining from morning until noon. His head was bald and shiny that you can even see a light bounce off from his head.

Seeing James funny expression when eating dry bread Hadi can't help but keep teasing him along the way to mine and keep saying that James face like a person who just eating vomit. When they arrive at the mine, James was pretty speechless as he did not know this was a mountain or a bee hive. Sound of clink and clanking can be heard echo through the tunnel.

The desert mountain become riddle with hole as the miner keep digging and take out the ore. Even though James saw the mountain was like a bee hive it only a small part of it because this desert mountain was a huge mountain and it take more than 1000 year for it to run out iron ore and being flat by human.

That morning James was taught by Hadi the different between normal rock and iron ore. Knowing the different between iron ore and a mere rock James did not waste his time because he need to full fill his quota of 200Kg iron ore if not he not gonna get any food tomorrow.

Clang…clang…cling…clang sound as James mine the iron ore. He only rest for a while at noon to fill his stomach with a loaf of dry bread and water. After eating his lunch he feel tired and ache all over his body from mining that morning but he still keep going because he thought that 'The quota ain't gonna fill it self'

He only stop mining at evening near dusk when he reach his daily quota of 200Kg of iron ore. His body feel more tired than ever before. He drag his tired body to his tent after having his diner. That night he sleep deeply until he heard another morning gong.

All he did for a month is eat, mine, eat, mine, eat and sleep. His days was uneventful it was same even after a month what different is that he decide to double his food intake to better fuel his body. Even after a month he still need to mine at least 200Kg or iron ore to buy enough food and save only 2 copper coins a day. He did not worry about saving money because he did not have another mouth to feed.

Day and days keep passing by week become month and month become year, it already 6 year since 1st day he become a miner. He already getting use living in the mining camp, his body become brawny and muscular because of his work. Getting use did not mean that he wana live forever in tent, so today was the day he decide to enter Iron desert city, to look around and try his luck if he can find a house within range of budget.

He decide to ride a carriage from miner camp that cost him 5 copper coins. The carriage only available at 2 time one was in morning and other was at afternoon near dusk. The carriage carry a lot of miner from miner camp toward the city, the passenger was packet like a sardine in a can. They can feel they shoulder touch another man shoulder and the carriage full of sweat smell.

It take a while for the carriage to arrive at the city, this time James was not stopped by the guard as he have a miner plate that was given to miner who have mine more than 5 year in iron mine near the iron desert city. The miner who have work for more than 5 year was exempted from gate tax same as the citizens.

James was like monkey enter the village when he enter the city, he was marvel at the sight of building. He saw variety of shop from bread shop to carpenter workshop. He amaze by every building he saw and he feel great to get to see a people enter and come out from shop, he also amaze by colourful of they cloth that different from his hometown. This is effect of someone that been to miner camp for 6 years without seeing other thing than tent, pickaxe tunnel and people that wearing torn clothing it was akin to human that live in jungle for 6 year seeing the same smartphone again even though he already see it 6 years ago.

Even though he wonder at shop district he did not buy anything as he top priority is to buy a house albeit a small one, he still need to be wise on his money management. He walk, and keep walking and at the end he find himself at a slum.

It maybe lady luck smile at him or he just use his last life fortune but coincidence in slum there are family that wana move to other city and wana sell they house for cheap price at 1 gold and 20 silver coins. James did not waste the time as he buy the house from the family and head to city hall with house grant to change name to his, it cost him another 20 silver coins for changing the name.

The house in the slum is made of yellow stone. In the house there are 1 stone bed and 1 bathroom. It a small house and it not bad for him to live alone, compare to a big house without anyone else he will rather live in small place.

After changing the grant name, he go to carpenter workshop to buy a cupboard to place his belonging and at last the empty house finally have a furniture. Then he go to bread shop to buy his ration and he find that they sell a loaf of dry bread half of price that miner camp sell for. He end up cursing 7 generation of the manager ancestor in his way back home.

James think that his neighbour are good people even though he rarely talk to them but the way they handle the problem and the way they treat other show it, as old saying say action is louder than a mere words.

His life was plain and simple, he go to mine and go home and sleep, the plain cycle continue for 4 years until he meet a young girl that collapse infront of his house. At 1st he try to wake up the girl try shaking her bodies but the girl did not respond he then turn the girl over so that he can see her face. But when he see her face he almost wet himself, it like seeing a ghost from horror movie but the different is, this is human and not a ghost.

He wanted to leave her be, but when he see her skinny body almost look like walking skeleton he feel pity for her and end up carry her into his house. When she wake up, she wanted to stand up but end up collapse into bed again. He asked her not to move too much because her body is in bad condition. It take 3 day of nourishment for her to able to stand up and walk properly.

She wanted to repay her debt but she had nothing other than her words, but James did not care about the small matter. She ask him "Don't you feel disgust when you looking at my face?" and he end up replying with "I will rather live with ghost that can make people blind with his face alone than live with someone who have beautiful face but will stab me from behind". Hearing James answer she end up crying.

James was startled when he see her crying when heard his answer, he thought he it was his words that was harsh and trying to apologize to her. And she say that it was not she was hurt by his words rather was touch to hear it for the 1st time. After she was stop crying she tell James her story.

Her name was Aisha she was born in average family that live in capital city, she was 4th child in her family as she has 3 older sister and 2 younger sister. Since young she was blessed with beautiful face and last year her beauty attract a young man from noble family, this course jealousy to bloom in her older sister heart.

Blind by jealousy her sister end up throwing acid to her face, once beauty was no longer shine from her face. Her current face make the young noble feeling disgust and end up with her older sister. To satisfy her older sister desire her own father and mother kick her from they house.

Luckily she has some saving, she use her money to get out from the capital city and move toward iron city course it was far from the heart of Golden Sand Empire. But her luck did not last long, 2 week ago her money pouch was taken from her by street thug and he end up being beaten by them with excuse her face give them trauma.

She then wonder the street for 2 weeks without food and secretly drink from well when no one was watching. Until she can't move no more and collapse infront someone house. James feel sympathy for her, maybe because he was also betray by his own family. He say to her that she can stay with him if she has no other place to go.

Aisha was grateful toward James but she say to him that she can't just sit and become freeloader and be a burden for James. James wanted to say it okay but when he look at her only eye that can be seen from a slit that almost make her blind, he saw a pride shining from the eye, the pride that will not accept any charity but will do any work as small as it be to offset anything that was given to her.

James end up smiling and say to her that she can keep this house, clean and wash his cloth and cook if he bring something else aside from dry bread. They lead a simple and happy life and some feeling for her starting budding inside James heart.

It was simple yet happy life until 3 year later that he was bitten by stray blue horned viper, it happen because he miss the carriage and wanted to find the shortcut to city. Even though he feel pain as the venom spreading to trough his body, he still keep walking toward his home. He open the door and give Aisha his last smile before collapse to the ground.

And then all he see is pitch black and a Aisha voice call him "James… James wake up it already morning wake up!"