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Authors: Joyce and Jim Lavene
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Guild.
It was true the people from each guild tended to hang together. I didn’t live here all the time so I tended to ignore it. This wasn’t the real Renaissance—things had changed since then.
“Jessie!” Roger yelled from inside the shop. “What are you doing out there? ”
I ran inside with my broom and found him frowning at the back door. The breeze I’d thought of as glorious had blown sand, leaves, and hay into the shop while I was outside. “Sorry. I was just pushing the last of the sand and stuff out the back. Who knew it’d blow right back in? ”
I smiled, but he didn’t smile back. “You know, an apprentice during the Renaissance would be beaten for letting something like this happen.”
I glanced around the shop. It was just me, Henry, and Roger. I’d had just about enough of him treating me like a servant and quoting references from the Middle Ages about my position. “I really want to learn what you know about glass art. I know I made a mistake with the torch and some stuff blew in the door, but honestly, Roger, if you don’t start treating me like a person from the twenty-first century, I’m walking out and not coming back. I was led to believe this would be a good time for you because of the crowds they expect during this Halloween thing. If it’s not, let me know now.”
Henry smirked but went back to his work when Roger looked his way. I felt like I was trapped in a Scrooge movie marathon, only at Halloween instead of Christmas.
“I appreciate your help and your willingness to learn, Jessie.” Roger turned back to address me. “But if I can’t have authority here in my own shop, where will I have it? Now, let’s get back to work. You tidy up and then report to my workbench for further instruction.”
That didn’t sound like much of a compromise between his need to lord it over me and my need to be a person, despite being his apprentice. I handed him the broom and saluted him smartly. “I believe, good sir, you will need to find another apprentice to harass.”
I turned on my heel and strode out the back door with a confidence I didn’t necessarily feel. I’d never get another apprenticeship at this point. It had been hard enough to get this one. I’d have to spend the next few weeks in the Village zipping MasterCard numbers across the Internet or waiting tables at one of the food vendors. I didn’t want to do either, but I seemed doomed to it. I refused to let Roger treat me the way he apparently treated Henry. There had to be another way.
I was kicking rocks across the cobblestones when I noticed Mary Shift sitting outside her shop across the street. She was weaving a large sweetgrass basket. My memories of the pain and bloody fingers I’d experienced while working with her suddenly disappeared as I considered that she might take me on for the season.
“Hi!” I sat down next to her on the back stairs like I was working there again. “Nice day, huh? How’ve you been doing? Do you ever hear from Jah? ”
Jah was Mary’s son she’d rediscovered over the summer. They’d been apart for many years. She narrowed her dark eyes, and smoke puffed from her corncob pipe. “Throw you out, did he? ”
My shoulders slumped. Everyone in the whole Village would know within a few hours. Everyone would feel sorry for me. “I quit, if that makes any difference.”
“Not to me.” She shrugged and addressed the basket she was working on. “Might matter to you, though. It’ll be hard to get an apprenticeship now.”
“I know.” I stared at the old plum tree that was losing its leaves. “You could let me work here until Halloween. I know the business. I could even make baskets. I got pretty good there at the end.”
She laughed, the sun picking out the web of wrinkles in her dark skin. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard since last week when the elephant trainer mistook the camel for his animal. Jessie, child, you were good when you were here. But I got a new
It was true the people from each guild tended to hang together. I didn’t live here all the time so I tended to ignore it. This wasn’t the real Renaissance—things had changed since then.
“Jessie!” Roger yelled from inside the shop. “What are you doing out there? ”
I ran inside with my broom and found him frowning at the back door. The breeze I’d thought of as glorious had blown sand, leaves, and hay into the shop while I was outside. “Sorry. I was just pushing the last of the sand and stuff out the back. Who knew it’d blow right back in? ”
I smiled, but he didn’t smile back. “You know, an apprentice during the Renaissance would be beaten for letting something like this happen.”
I glanced around the shop. It was just me, Henry, and Roger. I’d had just about enough of him treating me like a servant and quoting references from the Middle Ages about my position. “I really want to learn what you know about glass art. I know I made a mistake with the torch and some stuff blew in the door, but honestly, Roger, if you don’t start treating me like a person from the twenty-first century, I’m walking out and not coming back. I was led to believe this would be a good time for you because of the crowds they expect during this Halloween thing. If it’s not, let me know now.”
Henry smirked but went back to his work when Roger looked his way. I felt like I was trapped in a Scrooge movie marathon, only at Halloween instead of Christmas.
“I appreciate your help and your willingness to learn, Jessie.” Roger turned back to address me. “But if I can’t have authority here in my own shop, where will I have it? Now, let’s get back to work. You tidy up and then report to my workbench for further instruction.”
That didn’t sound like much of a compromise between his need to lord it over me and my need to be a person, despite being his apprentice. I handed him the broom and saluted him smartly. “I believe, good sir, you will need to find another apprentice to harass.”
I turned on my heel and strode out the back door with a confidence I didn’t necessarily feel. I’d never get another apprenticeship at this point. It had been hard enough to get this one. I’d have to spend the next few weeks in the Village zipping MasterCard numbers across the Internet or waiting tables at one of the food vendors. I didn’t want to do either, but I seemed doomed to it. I refused to let Roger treat me the way he apparently treated Henry. There had to be another way.
I was kicking rocks across the cobblestones when I noticed Mary Shift sitting outside her shop across the street. She was weaving a large sweetgrass basket. My memories of the pain and bloody fingers I’d experienced while working with her suddenly disappeared as I considered that she might take me on for the season.
“Hi!” I sat down next to her on the back stairs like I was working there again. “Nice day, huh? How’ve you been doing? Do you ever hear from Jah? ”
Jah was Mary’s son she’d rediscovered over the summer. They’d been apart for many years. She narrowed her dark eyes, and smoke puffed from her corncob pipe. “Throw you out, did he? ”
My shoulders slumped. Everyone in the whole Village would know within a few hours. Everyone would feel sorry for me. “I quit, if that makes any difference.”
“Not to me.” She shrugged and addressed the basket she was working on. “Might matter to you, though. It’ll be hard to get an apprenticeship now.”
“I know.” I stared at the old plum tree that was losing its leaves. “You could let me work here until Halloween. I know the business. I could even make baskets. I got pretty good there at the end.”
She laughed, the sun picking out the web of wrinkles in her dark skin. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard since last week when the elephant trainer mistook the camel for his animal. Jessie, child, you were good when you were here. But I got a new
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