I wake up early, too excited to sleep any longer. Today is the start of my first ever job! Soon I could finally buy myself something to eat without having hope for donations or even steal. And in the evening I could even try my luck in the karaoke contest. My throat still hurts a little, but it’s much better than the days before.
Throwing my towel-blanket off of me, I get out of my cardboard home and look up at the sky to check the time. My excitement slowly gets replaced with unhappiness when I notice the sun’s position. I figured I'd gotten up earlier than usual, but not that early. It’s probably around six o’clock, but I’m supposed to meet Apple Joe at eight. What should I do in the meantime?
As I said, sleeping is not an option. I’m way too excited to shove myself into my box again. Singing? It’s not very likely I’ll hear any familiar songs this early.
Horseapples! What else is there for me to do?!
My eyes stop upon seeing the three bits I put in a small case next to my box. While it definitely isn’t a lot, it’s still foalish to keep it out in the open for anypony to steal! Considering it is all the money I have, at least for now, I should find a way to keep it secure from thieves.
But… how? I definitely can’t open a bank account at my age, and even then I wouldn’t have enough money to finance it. A piggy bank is just as pointless; anypony could steal it and break it open.
An idea strikes me and I smile. Nopony can steal… what they can’t see! The red-bricked wall of my alleyway is anything but robust. If only I could find something to remove the plaster around a couple of bricks so I can take them out and hide something in the hollow wall behind them…
I check the trash containers. Yes, luck is with me today! An old, rusty hammer lays in there, but it seems to be stable enough to last a few more strong hits. Well, strong hits from an eight-year-old filly anyway.
Picking it up in my mouth, I inspect the wall behind my box for a weak spot along the bottom where the bricks and the ground meet. I think I’ve found one.
I reach back with the hammer in my mouth, and take a swing.
The sound of rusty metal connecting to burnt clay can be heard. I open my eyes and expectantly look at the point where I hit it. I frown at the completely unaffected red cuboid before me, and spit the hammer out.
“This is going to take longer than I expected.”
Indeed it took longer than I expected. Way longer. By now it must be somewhere around nine. I’m almost an hour late!
I arrive at Joe’s stand exhausted, and see him already serving a few customers.
“H-hello… Joe,” I say between heavy panting. “Sorry… for… being… so late.”
“Hello there, Emmy. Good to see you came at last. I was worried you forgot about me.” He ruffles my hair, much like he did yesterday. “And really, what difference is there in one hour? During early hours only a few ponies are around at the market, and those who do probably already have their regulars.”
“Heh, alright,” I reply, finally getting a more steady breathing pattern again. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“I had hoped you would ask that.”
He takes two of his many apples and cuts them into slices. Then, he takes out a plate and places them on it.
“It’s really simple. All you need to do is take this plate around and offer a few curious ponies a slice. Then you tell them that ‘Apple Joe’s Apple Paradise’ is where you got them from, and in which direction my stand is.” He levitates the plate on my back and secures it with a strap. “Was that easy to follow?”
“Alright.” He nudges my flank to send me on my way. “Good luck, Emmy! See you later.”
“Wait, I got one more question: what should I do when all slices are taken?”
“Oh, then you come back to get another batch. I’ve never had anyone do this before, so I don’t know how many ponies will try a sample. We’ll see about that.
“Okay, understood. Until later, Joe!” With that, I turn towards the market and begin my first work day.
It didn’t take long before the first batch of apple slices was completely taken. In fact, it didn’t even feel like like half an hour. At first I thought I was to keep this one bunch with me the entire day. Ponies can be really nice… when you don’t beg them for donations, and instead you are the one to offer something that is.
I’ve gotten used to the procedure after only a few ponies. All I have to do is ask curious looking ponies if they are interested in an apple slice. Sure enough, most ponies seem to be; almost like they also had no breakfast, hehe.
As I walk to Joe’s stand, I can see a rather long queue standing in front of it. Joe is working overtime, and it’s not even ten in the morning.
“Oh, hey there, Emmy. Please, come here,” he calls out to me, still in the middle of serving a customer. “The next batch is already ready for pick-up. You’re doing an amazing job!”
“Thank you!” I say while placing the new apple slices on my plate. “See you in a few minutes!”
Only a few minutes it indeed. And the three other plates before that. I feel so happy; finally I’ve found something to legitimately make a living off! Well, maybe not make a living off, but at least enough so I don’t have to beg all the time.
“‘Apple Joe’s Apple Paradise,’ right over there, sir,” I say to the pony who’s currently enjoying the slice I’ve given him. “Though you might need to wait a while. I think there currently are a lot of ponies waiting.”
“Ah, that doesn’t matter,” he replies. “These apples are delicious! Much better than those machine-processed abominations by those Flim-Flam brothers.Time is not an issue, I only hope there still are a few apples left by the time I get there, haha.” He tosses a small bit at my hooves—something a lot of ponies have been doing today.
I put the bit into my, admittedly, rather heavy getting bit pocket. “Thank you, sir. Best of luck to get some apples before they are sold out,” I say. Then I walk off, in search of more ponies to advertise to.
Over there seems to be another pony who looks like he’s interested in apples. I walk towards him, innerly finding my composure to—
“Well, if it isn’t Emerald Cry!” I hear a voice calling me from behind. It’s a mocking tone, and I recognize the voice.
“What do you want, Brawny Steed?” I angrily say to him. He is a colt from the old orphanage, and he is also part of the ones that were dropped when they cut down the staff.
“Oh, you know, just walking around the market, seeing if I can get any free stuff. Vendors are so easy to trick these days.”
“Why are you stealing? I thought you were adopted by a wealthy family!” I glare at him. “You have more than enough food to survive.”
“Oh, I know, but it’s so much more fun to eat something that doesn’t belong to you. Also, my family is so boring. They work all day and only eat with me late in the evening. I bet even your family does a better job at that.”
I look down at that remark, unable to say anything. “Uhm…”
“Oh, you don’t have a family? Bwahaha! Where do you live? Under a bridge with some dirty dossers and stand around a burning barrel? Or alone in some corner of the city?” He starts laughing manically.
My eyes begin to turn wet. “W-why are you so mean to me?” I try to look at him, but fail. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Nothing. It’s just fun watching you go baaawww. What are you doing anyway? Selling apple slices? Let me try one of those.”
He walks to the plate on my back, and takes one slice. The next thing I feel is a hoof connecting with my barrel, and I fall to the ground. In the corner I can see the fresh batch of slices falling to the dirty ground.
“Oh, woops. Hahahaha,” he laughs at me, chewing down the slice. I can no longer hold back my tears and begin to cry, while running away. I can hear him shouting another mean remark at me, but I’m too distraught to understand him.
I run towards Joe’s stand, and see him serving a single customer.
“Wow, Emmy, you’re getting faster and faster each time. This was probably a new rec—” Joe starts happily, but then he notices me sobbing. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“There was a bully… And… and… he kicked me! And all the pieces fell to the ground! I’m so sorry!” Moving to the ground, I bury my head in my hooves, and start crying.
“There you go, sir,” I hear him saying to the customer. Then he turns me. “Hey, Emmy, don’t be sad. There are always dumb ponies out there who have nothing better to do than make other ponies’ lives miserable. Usually it’s because they want to put themselves in a position of power over other ponies, because their own life is often not so great as well.”
“But he doesn’t live in an alleyway, he has a family who adopted him!”
“So what? Does this make him a better pony than you? And just so you know, I’m not mad at you for letting the slices drop. You already did an amazing job, and I don’t think that bunch would’ve made much of a difference. I’m almost completely out of apples. We can close up shop early today!”
“Y-yes? You’re not mad?” I ask him.
“Not at all. Come here.” He opens his forelegs, and hugs me. “Everything is fine. You hear me?”
“O-okay.” We break the hug, and I look in Joe’s eyes. “Thank you, Joe.”
“No worries. One more question though: is the bully orange with a light-green mane?”
“Yes, that’s him! How did you know?” I asked him surprised, my sadness slowly going back.
“I’ve had issues with that kiddo before. He also tried to steal apples. The only difference between you and him was that he seemed to enjoy it.” He boops my nose with his hoof, much like he did yesterday. “This is also what makes you two different: he doesn’t feel regret for his actions. But let’s forget about him. You want your earnings?”
I nod at him. “Yeah, that would be great. I got quite a few bits as tip already, but in my situation every bit is appreciated, hehe.” I smile at my ability to joke around again.
“Haha, of course.” He opens his cash register and lifts out a great amount of bits. “There you go. That should be enough for the cab.”
“So much?!” I ask him surprised.
“Yes, of course! My business has been at least three times as active as it usually is, thanks to you. You deserve a good reward for doing your job.”
“Thank you, Joe! Thank you, thank you!”
“Ah shucks, it’s nothing. Here…” He lifts an apple and puts it into my mouth. “Shut it before I start feeling more awesome than I really am, haha.”
I take a bite. “Thank you, Joe,” I say while winking.
“Hahahaha, thank you, Emmy. Best of luck for your karaoke contest later today. I’m sure you will win! You should go now, so you still have some time to practice.”
“Than– I mean, if you say so. Good bye, Joe!”
“Bye bye, Emmy! Hopefully we’ll meet again some day.”
“Yeah, hopefully.”
With that, I set off on my way to my home, chewing on my apple and feeling the heavy weight of clinking metal in my pouch.