CHAPTER 2: JOBLESS

For the next seven years I was told of Karl's heroism. When Karl didn't come back, I was told that something horrible had happened to him, that I'd never see him again. I tried not to believe it. I tried to hope that he was just playing a mean joke, that one day, he'd come home and surprise us, but he didn't. He never came back.

There was always one thing that bothered me, though: Karl's voice was always in my head, calling for help. Calling me.

No matter how much I tried to tell my mother, Henry or the Chief, no one believed me.

"You are just a child, Sela," Henry told me one day, "You were probably just imagining or dreaming it." My hands curled into tight fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. I tried as best I could to control myself; I knew that yelling at a senior was considered a violation and would get me sanctioned, but I lost my temper easily.

"I WASN'T IMAGINING!" I screamed, "I TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES! KARL IS ALIVE, AND ONE DAY, I'M GOING TO FIND HIM!"

Henry glared at me, his grey eyes piercing mine. "Get it through your stubborn little mind. Karl is dead, and there's nothing you can do about it." Henry slammed the door to our hut, and I knew he was going to tell Chief what I'd done.

"He's not... He can't be..... I hear him calling, he needs help..." I muttered to myself before I fell to the ground, bursting into tears.

I had been crying for what seemed like hours, when the door to the hut opened again and this time, Henry wasn't alone. "Hello, my child." Said Chief.

I said nothing. I gave a hateful glare to my brother.

"Sela. Answer your Chief." Henry hissed through his teeth. I glared at him even more, then I turned to Chief. "Hello, Father." Chief wasn't my real father; it was a rule in the village: We were all children and Chief was our father.

"It has come to my attention that you disrespected your brother, who is your senior. You know you must now be sanctioned." Chief told me blankly. I nodded, glancing angrily at Henry. "Henry never listens to me." I blurted out suddenly. Henry glanced at me, then at the leader, who didn't seem to hear what I'd just said.

"I do listen, Father," Henry argued, "Sela was going on about Karl again, she thinks he's still alive!" The leader nodded, then, slowly, his hard, angered expression turned to a long, sad smile.

"Your brother was lost seven years ago. It is impossible for him to have survived so long with no food, no water and no company." The old man explained. Even he thought that Karl was gone. "But he is! I just know it!" I replied, losing my patience with the Chief.

"Stop it, Sela," Henry snapped "Karl is gone." I hung my head low and followed the two men out of my hut and to the village center, where I was to receive my sanction. It was that day when I began forming my plan to help Karl. I knew he was out there somewhere, and he needed me.

It was December, seven years after Karl disappeared, which meant my thirteenth birthday was right around the corner. I would soon receive my assignment and move to a new hut, away from my mother, like Henry did. On New Year's Day, we were assembled to welcome the new year, to set a bright path for the days to come. I stood in between Mother and Henry, the three of us huddled together in our thick, woolen coats. The leader took his place on the snow-covered stage and the ceremony began.

"I welcome you, my children, to the new year."

"We thank you, Father." We all replied in unison.

"This year, our tens become elevens, our ones become twos, twos threes, and so on and so on. The first birthday and first change in age is soon to be thirteen: Sela. I congratulate you and wish a good assignment is made for you."

I nodded in surprise, my heart swelling with pride and respect.

"I thank you, Father." I replied quickly.

The ceremony went on, Chief talking about new paths and mysteries the new year holds. When the ceremony ended, Mother and I returned to the hut and went over my big plan. I had been scheming every night for nearly two years. Being 13, I would have access to the canoes, and I would be able to sail. My plan was this: on my thirteenth birthday, there will be a ceremony to honor my childhood and my new beginning. I would be branded with the mark of adulthood on my shoulder, a mark that signifies that I'm no longer a child. Once branded, I would head to the canoes (at night, when everyone was sleeping), steal a canoe and sail away from the village, to Karl. Only mother knew of this plan. She too believed that Karl was alive but didn't make it obvious so she wouldn't get in trouble with our leader.

On my thirteenth birthday, a cold January morning, my mother and I waited for the leader to arrive with my assignment. My mother and I paced around the little room until the door opened and Henry, who was now a member of the council, walked in, followed by Chief.

"Hello, Father, I am ready to be assigned." I recited the words like I'd practiced with my mother. He nodded at me, his expression grim with no smile present.

"Sela, I have watched you grow, I have especially kept an eye on you so that you may stay safe and protected, as I have failed to do with your brother." The leader paused, looking at me. I had no idea how to reply to this. Him talking about Karl made me feel uneasy, but at least the leader admitted his mistake.

"May I be assigned?" I asked, trying not to cringe. The leader nodded, the same empty expression on his face.

"It seems again, that I have failed," the leader began, my heart racing, I glanced at my mother, whose eyes were welling up with tears.

"Sela, I apologize, but the elder council were unable to find you a suitable assignment."

My mother's eyes grew wider, tears beginning to stream down her grief-stricken face. I turned to Henry. For once, my eldest brother was unable to speak.

"What then, Father?" I asked, my voice high and shaky.

The Elder turned now to my mother, "You know what must be done."

Mother nodded, speechless, she hung her head low, weeping silently.

"Sela, you will move to the jobless hut and you will be unable to leave. You will not be able visit your mother as Henry does." Chief said sharply.

I turned to face my mother; whose face was wet with tears. I realized that I wouldn't be branded without an assignment, and I couldn't access the boats without a branding. My plan was destroyed. My hopes of finding Karl were crushed. It was over.

That night, the elder council came to take me. I had all my things packed and was ready to leave. I had said my farewells to mother and to Henry, who seemed to be really devastated that he had lost yet another sibling. I said nothing to him, but I used my gift to tell him that I would be ok. Henry glanced at me, eyes wide, then nodded and smiled sadly.

The jobless hut was a large grey building filled with people, both young and old, who were not assigned, and had no special talents. The elder council thought me to be talentless and gave me the same ill fate.

'Little do they know...' I thought to myself.

I would not let being jobless stop me. I would go forth with my plan no matter what. I tried to connect to mother and send her my message, that I would set out to find Karl anyway. Surely, her voice made its way to my mind, a message of approval that was waiting to be heard. The jobless hut was right by the mouth of the river where the boats were. All I needed to do was wait for the right time to steal one.