Raina stood in the small kitchen of her parents' house, stirring the contents of a pot over a fire. The air was thick with the smell of herbs and concoctions, a scent she had learned to associate with her new life. Once, her world had been filled with dreams of love, family, and stability. Now, it was about survival, and it was in her parents' kitchen that she was learning a new trade—one that, while not glamorous, was legal and could support her family.
After Frodd left, Raina had returned to her parents' house with her children, feeling both the weight of failure and the urgency of necessity. Without Frodd, who had long abandoned his responsibilities, and without an education to fall back on, Raina knew she had to find a way to support her children. She had no formal education, no job prospects, and little to offer in a world that demanded more than just good intentions. It wasn't long before she found herself searching for opportunities—anything that could give her a steady income. That's when her mother suggested she consider becoming a chemist.
In this country, becoming a chemist didn't mean she would be dealing with dangerous substances or illegal trades. Instead, it was a respected profession that involved learning how to sell medicinal drugs and other legal substances. There was a period of training, but it didn't require the years of schooling that would have been necessary for a traditional degree. For someone like Raina, who had never completed her education but had always been resourceful and quick to learn, it was a perfect fit.
Her mother had connections in the local community, and through one of these connections, Raina was introduced to a man who had once been a trained chemist. He had spent years working in the field, helping people, and even owning a small shop where he sold prescribed medication. Now, he had shifted his focus to training others, particularly women who, like Raina, needed to earn a living. This man wasn't someone Raina would have considered interacting with under normal circumstances, but the offer was too good to pass up.
At first, the training seemed simple enough—learn how to measure doses, understand the different kinds of medicinal drugs, and acquire the skills necessary to run a small business. The job wasn't glamorous, but it was respectable, and it provided a steady income. The idea of becoming a chemist gave Raina hope. She could see herself running her own small shop, providing for her children, and doing something that would make her proud. But as she began her training, the reality of her situation began to sink in. This wasn't just about learning a new skill—it was about surviving in a world that seemed increasingly indifferent to her.
Mirabelle, Eugene, and Madeleine had no idea what their mother was going through. They were too young to fully understand the weight of their family's financial struggles. Mirabelle, the quiet one, was focused on helping care for her younger siblings. She watched over Madeleine, who was only a toddler, and often took on tasks that Raina would have done if she had the time. Mirabelle was mature beyond her years, a reflection of the struggles their family had already faced. Eugene, on the other hand, was a bit more outspoken. She questioned everything and often asked her mother where their father had gone. Raina didn't have the answers, but she tried to shield her daughters from the harshness of their situation, even if it meant carrying the burden alone.
Raina had always been somewhat naive, and it was hard for her to accept that her dream of a happy family life might never come to fruition. The disillusionment of her marriage to Frodd had opened her eyes to the complexities of the world—how love could fade, how promises could be broken, and how survival sometimes required choices that felt morally ambiguous. But she was determined. She wasn't going to let her children grow up in the same way she had. She didn't want them to experience the same hardships, the same loneliness. For them, she would work as hard as she could.
The work wasn't easy. Raina spent hours learning about various drugs—how they worked, the different types of prescriptions, and the rules surrounding their sale. She was careful to follow the law and was trained in ethical practices, but there was still a part of her that felt uneasy. Every day, she walked the line between doing what was right for her family and becoming a part of a system that, while legal, still felt foreign to her. It wasn't the life she had imagined when she was younger, but she knew that without it, her family would suffer.
Her father, once a pillar of authority in the household, had grown quiet after Frodd's departure. He no longer spoke to Raina with the same tone of disapproval, but his silence weighed heavily on her. Her mother, on the other hand, had always been a source of quiet strength, but even she couldn't hide her concerns. Though she had encouraged Raina to take this path, she often cast furtive glances in her direction, wondering if it was the right choice. Raina knew they both worried for her—worrying that the path she had chosen might be a temporary fix at best, or that it might pull her into something deeper and darker.
Despite these concerns, Raina's resolve only grew stronger. She knew this was what she had to do. For her children. For herself.
As the weeks passed, Raina grew more proficient in her work. She began to manage small orders, learning how to deal with customers and provide them with what they needed. She had to be discreet, always cautious, but she felt a sense of pride in her ability to take charge of her situation. With each successful transaction, she earned a little more, enough to feed her children and ensure that they had what they needed. She started to envision a future where she could support her family with dignity—where she wouldn't have to rely on anyone else, where she wouldn't have to feel ashamed.
At night, when her children were asleep, Raina would sit in the quiet of the house, reflecting on everything she had been through. The girl who had once dreamt of love and stability now found herself in a world full of compromises. But she wasn't afraid. She wasn't going to let life defeat her. She had her children to think about, and she would do whatever it took to make sure they had a better life.
The days of being dependent on Frodd were gone. The days of waiting for a man to come back and fix everything—those days were over. Raina had taken her future into her own hands, and though the journey was far from easy, she knew that every step forward was one closer to securing a better life for her daughters.
As she gazed out the window, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky, she made a silent promise to herself. She would never stop fighting. She would never stop pushing. For her children, for their future, she would continue to learn, to work, and to survive.
Despite the weight of her choices, Raina never felt entirely alone. Her mother's quiet strength was always there, even in the subtlest of ways. It was in the way her mother would leave a warm meal for her at the end of a long day, or in the rare moments when she would sit beside Raina and ask about her training, her voice soft but filled with genuine care. Raina knew her mother worried—there was no hiding that—but she never once judged her for taking this path. Instead, her mother reminded her of the resilience she had passed down, the same resilience that had helped her survive her own hardships years ago.
Her father, too, though once a silent figure, had begun to change since Frodd left. The man who had once commanded respect with his words now said little, but his actions spoke volumes. There were mornings when Raina would find him in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, an unspoken gesture of support. His presence, though quiet, was a reminder that he was there for her, even if he couldn't fully understand her choices. The weight of his silence sometimes felt heavier than words, but Raina took comfort in the fact that he wasn't turning his back on her. His support, though understated, was a foundation she could rely on.
Then there was Hannah, Raina's immediate elder sister. Though Raina wasn't physically present to help her sister, she supported her in the ways she could. As the demands of Raina's new profession grew, she often sent money back home, ensuring that Hannah had what she needed to support her own growing family. There were months when Raina couldn't do much more than check in on her through letters or quick phone calls, but she always made sure that Hannah never went without. Hannah, in turn, never resented her absence. She understood that Raina was doing what she had to, even if it meant she couldn't be there physically.
But beyond the financial support, it was Hannah's emotional strength that kept Raina grounded. She would call just to check in, offering words of encouragement when the pressure of it all became too much. "You've got this," Hannah would remind her, not just as a sister, but as someone who understood the sacrifices Raina was making. It was Hannah who kept her spirits up during the hardest times, always finding a way to remind Raina of the strength she had inside. With her family behind her, Raina knew she could keep fighting.