Controlling My Family
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I was in the middle of a conversation with my sister when I heard footsteps on our front porch. It wasn’t unusual for people to come by and visit, but it had been a while since anyone stopped over unannounced.
The last time someone did that was…well, never mind about what happened then; let’s just say we were both glad they didn’t stop again after that incident. We’d gotten used to being left alone ever since. But now there seemed to be some kind of commotion outside—a lot more than usual anyway.
And whoever or whatever was out there sounded like it wanted something from us.
“Hey! You!” A man shouted as he pounded his fist against the doorframe hard enough to make me jump back slightly despite having grown up around this sort of thing all my life. “Open up right now.”
He continued shouting at the top of his lungs until finally, one of those doors opened wide before him.
The moment I saw who stood behind the open doorway, however, any thoughts of wanting anything from them vanished into thin air. In fact, if not for how much trouble these people could cause otherwise, I would have felt sorry for them.
They looked so pathetic standing there in their ragged clothes and dirty faces that you couldn’t help feeling bad for them even though they probably wouldn’t appreciate your sympathy very much. Their eyes glistened with tears as they stared down at the ground while clutching onto each other tightly, looking completely lost and confused
. Even worse yet was the expression on their mother’s face: she appeared absolutely terrified. She kept her head bowed low as she tried desperately to hide away inside the house without making eye contact with anybody else.
Her husband also hung his head dejectedly, clearly ashamed of himself because he knew exactly why everyone here was gathered together today. His shoulders shook uncontrollably as he sobbed quietly, unable to hold back anymore.
All three of them were shaking violently, almost as if they feared that somebody might see through their actions and expose them for what they really are.
It took everything within me not to burst out laughing at such an absurd sight.
After all, I’m sure most of the neighbors must’ve thought it strange too seeing as how nobody usually bothered coming over unless invited first. So naturally, no doubt many of them wondered what brought everybody here today.
What made things even better is that none of them came forward to ask questions either, which meant I got to enjoy watching every single person’s reaction unfold in slow motion. That included the two kids who ran off screaming once they spotted me sitting on the steps leading up to the front entrance.
There was only one reason why children would run away from home instead of staying put where they belonged. This family was obviously living under conditions far beyond the poverty line. If nothing changed soon, they weren’t going to survive another day.
Not long ago, I would have done anything necessary to protect them from harm, but times change quickly. Nowadays, I don’t feel nearly as sympathetic towards them as I used to. At least not compared to how I felt back then.
As expected, the father eventually broke free from his wife’s grasp and rushed over toward me. As he approached, I noticed how terribly skinny he was. His skin sagged loosely across his bones, revealing how little food he actually ate.
He wore filthy clothing stained with dirt and grime, and his hair hadn’t seen a comb in quite some time judging by its untamed state. Clearly, he spent most of his days working hard to provide for his family, leaving him barely any energy to spare for personal hygiene.
Yet somehow, I still found myself pitying him. Maybe it was because of how young he looked despite already having four children running around. Or maybe it was simply due to the way his entire body trembled beneath the weight of the world crushing down upon him.
Either way, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Besides, I needed to find out what he wanted. Otherwise, I risked losing valuable information that could prove useful later on.
“What do you want?” I asked bluntly.
He hesitated briefly before taking a deep breath and turning around to address the rest of his family. “We need your help,” he said softly. “Please…”
With that, he turned back around to look straight at me. However, rather than asking me directly, he spoke to his wife instead. “Tell him what’s wrong, dear.”
She swallowed nervously before speaking up. “…we’re starving.”
Her words hit me harder than I imagined possible. For years, I’d lived in fear of becoming hungry. Fear of dying from starvation. Of course, I always managed to avoid such dire circumstances thanks to my ability.
But even so, it was impossible for me to forget just how horrible hunger can be. It makes you weak, vulnerable, desperate…and ultimately, willing to do whatever it takes to get something to eat. And when someone like me has been forced to live through that kind of hell, I know firsthand just how devastating it truly is.
The mere idea alone sent shivers racing throughout my spine.
I didn’t say anything, choosing instead to remain silent as I watched the man slowly shake his head. “No matter how much we work, there never seems to be enough money left after paying our bills.
We haven’t had a decent meal in weeks, let alone eaten meat or vegetables since last year. Our children are starting to complain about being tired all the time, and I think they may start falling ill soon if this keeps up. Please, Mister, please! You have to help us!”
His plea struck me right between the eyes. How could anyone possibly endure such hardship? Especially considering how poor they seemed to be, I figured they should have plenty of savings stashed away somewhere.
Then again, perhaps those funds were tied up elsewhere and inaccessible until they paid off their debts. Regardless, I couldn’t deny the fact that the situation sounded absolutely terrible. In truth, I wasn’t entirely certain whether I ought to help them or not.
My own life might depend on it. After all, I knew full well what happened whenever I failed to fulfill my duties as a Guardian. Still, I chose to keep quiet for now. Instead, I focused on listening carefully while trying to figure out exactly what caused them to reach out to me.
“…you see, I owe a lot of people money. A whole bunch of debt collectors is constantly harassing me, demanding payment. They won’t stop calling, threatening to take me to court if I don’t pay up immediately.
Every month, I try to scrape together as much cash as I can, hoping to make ends meet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like I’ll ever manage to clear these loans off my books. No matter how hard I work, there isn’t enough income coming into the house anymore.
All I really care about is feeding my family, but without proper nutrition, they aren’t likely to grow strong and healthy. If only there were another option…”
The more I listened, the clearer things became. This particular family appeared to be struggling financially, which meant they probably owed far too many creditors. That explained why they kept getting harassed day after day, week after week, forcing them to scramble desperately for extra cash.
What surprised me, however, was the sheer number of outstanding debts they apparently accumulated. According to the husband, they currently owed several hundred thousand dollars to various banks, credit card companies, loan sharks, and other financial institutions.
Considering how small-time they seemed to be, I doubted they would be able to repay such an enormous sum anytime soon. Not unless they sold everything they owned, including their home itself. Which begged the question: Why did they choose to come to me instead of seeking out professional assistance?
Did they hope I could offer them a better deal than what they received from others? Perhaps. But then again, I also wondered if they came here looking for a quick fix that wouldn’t require giving up any assets whatsoever. Either way, I decided to ask them outright.
“Why are you asking me for help?” I inquired calmly. “There must be dozens of people who specialize in helping families with similar issues. Surely one of them will be happy to lend you a hand.”
As expected, the man shook his head once more. “Not everyone wants to hear the same old story over and over again. Most of the professionals we’ve spoken to simply tell us to sell our property. Or else they suggest filing for bankruptcy, which means losing everything we worked so hard to build.
Even worse, some claim they can save our homes by taking out a second mortgage. Yet no matter how high the interest rate, we still end up owing twice as much as we started. As long as we continue living paycheck to paycheck, we’ll never escape the cycle of debt. Sooner or later, we’ll lose everything anyway.”
He paused briefly before continuing. “That’s where you come in. We heard rumors about your abilities, so we thought maybe you could provide us with a solution. One that allows us to stay put while keeping our heads above water at the very least.
The problem is, nobody knows for sure just how powerful you truly are. And even if someone does, chances are he’d rather avoid making contact altogether. It’s safer that way. At the end of the day, most folks prefer to live under the illusion that magic users exist solely within fantasy novels and movies.
Nobody wants to believe real mages actually walk among us every single day. But if you’re willing to listen, Mister…what do you call yourself?”
I smiled faintly. “My name is Zagan. You may refer to me as whatever you wish.”
“Zagam,” the father corrected him. “And please, don’t worry about formalities. Just go ahead and use my first name when addressing me directly.”
It took me a moment to realize that this was the same person who had been referred to as ‘Mr. Smith’ earlier. However, since he didn’t appear to be married, I assumed he used his given name instead. Still, I couldn’t deny the fact that using a nickname made it easier to talk casually.
After all, it wasn’t exactly common practice to address strangers by their last names. In truth, I hadn’t known anyone named Mr. Smith until now. For some reason, I found myself feeling slightly uncomfortable. Maybe because I knew nothing about him aside from the fact that he was a mage.
Then again, considering how little information I possessed on the subject, I supposed it shouldn’t have mattered either way.
At any rate, I nodded politely. “Very well. Please allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Zagan. I’m a sorcerer capable of manipulating mana. Now, let me get straight to the point; I want to know whether you intend to give up your home or not.
If you decide against selling, I might be able to find a suitable solution for both parties involved. Is that something you’re interested in hearing more about?”
They looked at each other silently for a few moments, before finally nodding simultaneously. Apparently, they were satisfied with my answer. Well, there went that idea. Though I suppose I should be grateful they agreed to meet with me without hesitation. They really weren’t like those other magicians I met back in Faltra.
After that, I began explaining the situation in detail. First off, I told them about the curse placed upon the house, along with its effects. Next, I described the circumstances surrounding the incident involving the demon lord. Finally, I informed them of the events leading up to the current predicament they faced.
By the time I finished speaking, the couple appeared visibly shaken. Their eyes grew wide as saucers, and their mouths hung agape. To say the least, they were completely taken aback by the entire ordeal.
However, despite being shocked beyond belief, neither of them showed signs of panic. Instead, they remained calm throughout the whole explanation. This struck me as strange, but perhaps I was wrong after all.
There probably existed many different kinds of sorcerers besides the ones I encountered during my travels through Faltra. Perhaps these two were quite skilled indeed. That would explain why they managed to keep such an expressionless face. Either way, I decided to proceed with caution.
Once I finished talking, the wife spoke up in a trembling voice. “So what exactly did you mean by saying you wanted to help? What kind of solution are you planning on offering us?”
Her husband sighed softly. “We already tried contacting several organizations specializing in housing assistance. None of them seemed to care about the details regarding the curse. All they cared about was the money we offered. As far as they were concerned, the only thing that mattered was getting rid of the house.
Unfortunately, none of the offers we received covered the cost of moving out entirely. So basically, no matter which organization we contacted, they refused to take responsibility for helping us move elsewhere.
Even though they claimed to offer aid, they never once considered giving us anything more than a fraction of the value of the property itself. Not to mention that they wouldn’t accept any form of payment other than cash. Which means…” He trailed off momentarily before sighing deeply yet again. “…we can’t afford to sell the place.”
The man then turned toward me. “You see, Mister Zagan, we’ve got nowhere else to turn right now. Our savings aren’t enough to cover the costs associated with moving somewhere new. Plus, we still need to pay rent here until the contract ends.
Considering everything, unless one of those organizations suddenly changes their mind and decides to buy our house outright, there isn’t much hope left for us.”
He paused briefly, looking down dejectedly. It almost felt like he was trying hard to hold himself together. The woman next to him also started crying quietly. She buried her head into his shoulder while sobbing uncontrollably.
Her sobs sounded rather pitiful, honestly. Seeing them like this, I could understand just how desperate things must have gotten. But…
“…But doesn’t that mean you’ll lose your home if someone buys it?” I asked.
Their faces immediately lit up. Both of them gave me a firm nod.
“That’s correct! We’d have absolutely no choice but to leave!” the man exclaimed happily.
I raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t he worried about losing the house? Why would he be happy about that prospect…? Wait, wait, hang on a second. Did I hear him correctly?! Were they actually going to throw away their home because it was too expensive!? How irresponsible could people possibly be!?
This was bad news. Realistically speaking, even if they sold the house themselves, they likely wouldn’t make enough profit to live comfortably anywhere else. And considering the amount of work required to clean up the place, they couldn’t do it alone either.
In fact, I doubted anyone would be willing to purchase the house under those conditions. At best, they might manage to scrape together some extra money from the sale. However, that wasn’t nearly enough to solve their problems. After all, the mortgage payments didn’t stop simply because they moved.
No doubt they had been paying interest on top of the original price since day one.
And the worst-case scenario, they could end up having to declare bankruptcy altogether. If that happened, they would essentially be forced to give up ownership of the house. Then where would they go? Would they be able to find another place to stay within the city limits?
Or would they have to look outside of town for something cheaper? Honestly, I thought it was safe to assume they would eventually run out of options.
Well, I guess that explains why they’re so determined not to let the house get bought by someone else. Still, selling it is clearly their last resort. They should at least try asking around first. Maybe they could ask a family member or friend who has the funds necessary to buy the house.
Surely there must exist someone among their acquaintances capable of taking on such a large financial burden.
After thinking about it for a moment, however, I realized that most families don’t have the finances to support such a huge investment. Especially when they consider the additional expenses involved in maintaining a house. For example, they would need to hire a maid to handle cleaning duties.
On top of that, they would also need to maintain the garden. That meant buying fertilizer and seeds each year along with hiring workers to tend to the plants. And finally, they would need to keep track of pests and diseases that might infect the crops.
In short, owning a house requires quite a bit of money. Of course, the same goes for renting apartments. Renters typically spend a lot of money on utilities every month. With electricity, water, gas, internet access, cable television, phone bills, insurance, etc., it really adds up fast.
And these are just the bare minimums. A single person living alone probably spends twice what a couple does per month. And that’s assuming they don’t eat out very often.
So yeah, it seems pretty obvious to me that neither option will help them. What am I supposed to do, then? Should I lend them my own money? Well, that certainly sounds tempting. But I’m afraid they won’t be able to repay me anytime soon anyway.
Besides, I know nothing about real estate investments. Even if I did offer to loan them some cash, I can guarantee they wouldn’t take me seriously. So instead, maybe I should tell them about the organization I belong to. Perhaps they could sell their house through that group after all.
However, as far as I knew, none of the members of the church were rich. All of them lived modest lives, struggling to survive off their meager incomes. There weren’t any wealthy individuals among them. As such, I doubted they would have the resources needed to buy the house.
Not only that, but the whole idea seemed kind of shady, to begin with. Selling houses without ever meeting the buyer in person made me feel uneasy. Plus, I highly doubted the buyers would pay full market value for the property.
Instead, they would probably lower the price significantly. This means the sellers would still wind up making less than expected.
The End