Setting: 18th Century, Great Britain

 

Birds chirped as the sun rose on the chilly February morning. Remnants of the night were still present, but they quickly dissipated as the farmers began waking up. It was the start of the planting season and work beckoned them to the land. 

 

Noah opened his eyes. The room was quiet except for the birds that had woken him up. The wooden bed creaked as Noah sat up. 

 

Another day, more back pain – he thought. Apart from the physical exhaustion, he couldn’t really complain about his life. He was fed and housed thanks to the landowner he worked for, Mr. Warner. Or at least that's what he told himself. Mr. Warner was by no means cruel, but he was demanding, which made for long hours in the field. As Noah thought this over, he got dressed, and headed out to the field with tools in hand. 

 

As he approached, he found Mr. Warner out in the field. Usually Mr. Warner was not up this early, unless it was an emergency. Like the time the family dog had run wild across the field to chase a duck and it had taken two hours to get him back. But there were no dogs in sight so this must’ve been a different kind of emergency, Noah assumed. 

 

“Morning Mr. Warner,” Noah said. 

 

“Good morning, a bit chilly,” Mr. Warner replied. A little far out Noah saw three other men towing the field. He had never seen them before, but they seem to be preparing the field for a new crop, something Mr. Warner had been adamant about not doing so. 

 

“Yes,” Noah replied. He wasn’t the type to engage in small talk, especially when Mr. Warner was out in the field. He was growing impatient, and frankly uneasy after seeing the three men. 

 

“What brings you out into the field at this hour?” Noah asked. Mr. Warner sucked in a breath of air and exhaled loudly. Noah's eyes narrowed.

 

“You must not be aware, but a new law was passed,” Mr. Warner began. “It has granted us wealthy folks the ability to fence off our land and make it private land.” 

 

“Private.” Noah repeated. He was not familiar with many of the laws. He had barely received a proper education, given his lower status, but he assumed it wasn’t necessary. Now he questioned his poor education. 

 

“Yes, meaning we no longer require your labour,” Mr. Warner said. As soon as Mr. Warner had finished, Noah felt as if a bucket of cold water from the Severn river had been poured on his head. He stayed silent and gripped onto his tool, making the knuckles of his hand turn white. 

 

“My sincerest apologies for this, but I have to think of my family.” Mr. Warner said, breaking the silence. 

 

Family? More like status. Noah thought. 

 

“Goodbye Noah. May God be with you.” Mr. Warner said as he headed back to his home. Noah no longer had a means to provide for himself. What would he do now? He began to curse himself for his morning thoughts.

 

When he reached his shabby home, another farmer approached in the distance. 

 

“NOAH!” The farmer yelled. 

 

“Hello Stanley,” Noah said flatly. He was in no mood for his antics. 

 

“Have you heard? They are kicking us out and putting up their fences!” Stanley kept on yelling. 

 

“Yes,” Noah said. That’s how it was. The rich got richer while the poor stayed poor. Stanley saw the gloom in Noah’s face and sighed. He was also out of work and on top of that had a family he needed to provide for. 

 

“My brother,” Stanley said, now in a calmer voice, “he’s out near the new coal mine in Manchester and last time he wrote, mentioned the opening of a factory.” Noah turned to Stanley. 

 

“He said they were looking for workers. If you’re interested, you can join me and my family.” Stanley offered.  

 

Noah thought this over. How could he leave behind all he knew? His house had been his father’s after all and after his passing, it was left to Noah. But its roof was piled with decomposing straw and the walls sported various cracks. What kind of inheritance was that? 

 

“All right,” Noah finally responded. Stanley gave him a quick smile before going back to gather his family, leaving Noah in the quiet of his home. If the world was evolving, then he would need to follow suit. 

 

*******************************************************************************

 

The street was filled with mud after the past few days of rain. The houses were made in straight lines, one after the other, and were distinct shades of grey. Noah carried his things on his shoulders, aching from the long journey to Manchester. Stanley walked by his side carrying his things in one hand and holding his daughters hand in the other. Stanley’s wife followed closely behind with their younger son, an infant still. 

 

The streets were bustling with people, most being workers carrying coal from the mines on the outskirts of the city. The dock on the other side of the street could be heard by the splash of waves and bells ringing, announcing the arrival of ships. The air was thick with smoke and it made Noah’s eyes water. It didn’t take long before Stanley’s brother found them and helped them settle in their new home. They were definitely smaller than their houses in the countryside but there was equally little room to complain. 

 

Once Stanley’s family had settled in, Stanley’s brother, Isaac, took Stanley, Stanley’s wife, Ida, and Noah to the factory. The factory lay on the edge of the river, but it still took them a while to arrive.

 

Noah was the first to speak. 

 

“So, is it hard work? Being in the factory?” Noah asked Isaac. 

 

“It’s hard work, but jobs are scarce nowadays, especially after those new laws were placed in the countryside,” Issac said. Noah nodded.

 

“My wife will be working with the other ladies inside the factory and produce threads using a new machine. They call it the Spinning Jenny.” Stanley added. 

 

Noah had heard of that machine through one of Mr. Warner’s maids. According to them, it allowed one person to spin multiple threads all at once. This machine, Noah thought, put Mrs. Warner to shame. 

 

“So what will we do?” Noah asked. 

 

“Oh well, we will power the machines. The Spinning Jenny needs someone to power it, but the Water Frame doesn’t. What it does need is fuel, and we will provide it. We collect the water near the river and make sure it reaches the machines.” Isaac explained.

 

Once they arrived at the factory, Isaac, Stanley, Ida, and Noah all headed to the engine rooms where they met with the factory supervisor. He wasn’t much of a supervisor according to Isaac, but at least he was paying them. The supervisor immediately set them to work.

 

“I hope you’re ready to dedicate your lives to this work.” The supervisor grumbled. 

 

Life, Noah thought. The world was certainly changing, but it was not in the favor of people like him.