- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
The afternoon sun was poised directly overhead in the sky, illuminating the small town in Iowa. The townspeople continued about on their daily routines, joyfully moving through the crowd and greeting their fellow man with a kindly 'How do you do?' as they crossed paths. Just outside the quaintest little settlement this side of Texas, a horse-drawn cart filled with crates of supplies eased its way on down the dirt road. Seated atop the cart was a young farmer by the name of Matthias Altresian. His long messy brown hair fluttered gently in the autumn breeze as he removed his cap and wiped the sweat from his brow. A smile was spread across his face as he passed the familiar sign just barely a half-mile outside the town;
Welcome to Hopesville.
Population: 45
All the way into town, his smile never faltered. A whistle escaped his lips and he gently tugged on the reins, urging his horse to continue into town. Slowly, the young farmer made his way down the dirt path, headed for the general store. Once he reached his destination, Matthias jumped off the cart and gave his horse a gentle stroke on her mane. "You stay right here, girl. I'll be back." he whispered, moving towards the back of the cart so he could begin to unload the crates. Before he could even grab the first crate, a few of the townspeople who he sold privately to on a regular basis arrived to give him a helping hand. Offering them a quick thanks and a small cut of his payment, Matthias grabbed a crate filled with twelve jugs of milk and walked into the general store.
"Afternoon, Mr. Delrose! Here's the new produce you requested!" exclaimed Matthias as he pushed open the door with a smile on his face. In his arms was a large wooden box containing at least twelve jugs of milk and set it down on the counter. Behind him, a group of men from the town helped Matthias bring in the rest of the food items: vegetables, fruit, fresh milk and eggs, and even a few different types of cheese. "It's all here!... Well, mostly. Somebody took one of the apples while I wasn't lookin' a few miles back, but there's 'bout twenty four red ones left, so it's not a big deal I suppose. I just won't charge you for the missing one."
Smiling at the young man, Mr. Delrose shook his head and opened the cash register. "Don't worry kid, it's only ten cents more. You're always bringing me the best stuff, so paying a bit extra is no problem." said the kindly older gentleman, pulling out three slim green pieces of paper from the register. "Here you are, that's three dollars for everything."
Looking at the bills with wide eyes, Matthew silently took the money, nodding his head thankfully. "T-Thank you, Mr. Delrose! I-I mean it, sir. I-I always strive to make the best products I can, but hearing that from you really makes me proud. You have a nice day, Mr. Delrose! And thanks again!" exclaimed Matthias as he existed the store, waving to the men behind him. Once they were outside, he gave each one fifteen cents for their help and wished them a good day. Now that he had unloaded his baskets, it was time to get going. Matthias needed to pick up a few supplies while he was in Hopesville, so he decided that he would run some errands, eat supper and then leave.
((I used a currency translator to determine that $94.45 nowadays is $3 in 1844. It may not be entirely accurate, but it's still a useful tool. Here's the link if you ever need to use it for the RP: Historical Currency Conversions))