Snow gently fell outside the tiny bedroom window. The sun hadn't shone through the gray clouds in days. Kimberly looked down at her little sister, Beth, where she lay in bed. Young Kimberly had been taking turns with Mama, sitting at her sister's bedside. Beth shivered with fever and Kimberly wiped the sweat off her sister's brow. Papa had been out looking for work, from sun up til sun down, for the past several months, but none had been found. Kimberly was young but no simple headed girl. She knew that the money was all but gone, spent on food and rent. She knew that her sister would die in this bed without the medicine that they could not afford. The meager amount of money that was left would not cover the rent and when Mr. McGuffry came to collect they would be thrown into the street. Her heart weighed heavy.
The front door opened and heavy boots slowly dragged inside. It was Papa. There was still no work to be found. Today was collection day. She heard Mama muffle her cry and without seeing it, she knew that Papa shared the disappointing news with the simple shake of his head.
Kimberly had spent many a long night trying to think of a way to help her family. She knew that if Papa couldn't find work in one of the factories or warehouses than neither would she. He was much taller and stronger than she. Secretly, she had gone around the village knocking on doors and sometimes begging for any small job that they could pay her a little bit of money for. The village was poor and the only person that would help her was an angry woman who put her to work scrubbing floors for a stale loaf of bread. That woman had even paddled Kimberly's backside when she scrubbed too slowly.
The thought turned her stomach in knots but she knew what needed to be done. She knew that she needed to offer herself to Mr. McGuffry, in lieu of rent. As if the thought had summoned Him, a loud banging on the door startled her out of her seat. She hadn't expected Him so soon! Taking one last look at her sister and giving her a gentle, goodbye kiss on the forehead, Kimberly stepped out of the small bedroom and quiet shut the door. She listened to Papa beg Mr. McGuffry for more time and watched the landlord's merciless reply with His upraised hand.
"You've had more than enough time to come up with this month's rent, Louder! You and your wretched family have until tomorrow morning to be out of my house. I'll put a paying family in here."
"But my youngest daughter is very sick." Papa begged. "She will die if you make us leave."
"Than you should have thought about that when you slothed your money away."
Kimberly knew that Papa's begging would gain no ground and stepped forward. "Mr. McGuffry..."
The older man looked at her sharply. "What do you want, child?!"
"Sir..." she took a deep, shuddering breath. "If You will let my family stay here I will offer myself as Your servant, Sir."
"No!" Papa roared.
"Papa," she replied quietly and they shared a knowing look. They both knew this was the only way.
"Hmmm..." McGuffry looked her up and down.
