Being Poor In Neopia

by IckleMissGiggles97 and Didioly the Kacheek

Reading the Neopian Times I can see that a lot of you are rich. Some have painted pets, and huge NeoHomes. I have none of these things - I am what you call the Neopian Working Class. Sure three of my pets have PetPets , these were given to me by the snow queen in a quest. I have a NeoHome which I can't build anymore rooms in because of the expense. Anyway you know what it's like for owners to be working class Neopians but what about the pets??? This story is written by my Kacheek, Didioly, and it tells the story of a poor pet's typical day:

I slowly opened my eyes. We were sleeping (again) in one of our NeoHome's four rooms - the hall. Next to me LahVelle was snoring under his blanket, Reiliey was talking in his sleep and Hermiyoney was mumbling something about faeries. Isabel (our owner) was sat up with a calculator and a notebook.

"Izzy?" I asked. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to sort out the shop," she replied. "No one has bought anything from it for days, Di."

"It will be all right," I told her. "We can just get more items to go in there."

"We can't afford it," Isabel shook her head. "All our money has gone on expanding the shop or on this place."

She waved her hand towards the wall of the jelly room we were sleeping in.

"And you four are always asking for more than I can give. Hermiyoney wants a Faerie Paintbrush. Do you know how expensive they are? Reiliey wants a Cloud Paintbrush, LahVelle wants gold. And you want striped."

I looked at the floor. I did want a Striped Paintbrush more than anything.

"I can't afford it!" she cried. "I can't buy you chocolate or any other treats - only soup from the Soup Kitchen. All the other pets get treats and their NeoHomes are actually furnished. I've had to abandon two pets already!"

I still looked at the floor. That had happened before I was born - one brother and a sister, a Lupe and a Aisha had both been abandoned. Isabel looked at the time. "Come on," she said. "Time for breakfast."

Breakfast was what it had been forever. Soup. As we walked we passed the other houses on Rainbow Lane. Through the windows we could see pets enjoying NeoCereal. A Faerie Poogle passed us and Hermiyoney gazed after it.

"I told you" Isabel said to her. "I can't afford a Faerie paintbrush."

"Can you afford a Cloud one?" asked Reiliey.

"No!!" she snapped. "And I can't afford a Gold one either, LahVelle."

We finally reached the Soup Kitchen. The Faerie looked at us with pity as she gave out the bowls. I collected my turnip soup and quickly ate it. I'd always hated soup, and this was all I could eat now. "Don't eat so quickly," Hermiyoney said. "We're not eating again until four o'clock."

Isabel finished her soup. "I'm going to the shop," she said. She looked at us with pity - I knew she wished we would go to other owners, but she'd never abandon us.

Then after Isabel left we went our separate ways. Hermiyoney (as always) went to the Shop Wizard to look at the Faerie Paintbrushes. Reiliey went to the bookshop and tried to read the books without getting caught. His favourite was one about cloud paintbrushes. LahVelle went to the Employment Agency to look for anything that would give more money than he needed to use. And me? I went to my favourite shop. It was a small shop , but it had a striped paintbrush.

Five o'clock was almost here. I turned to leave the shop and saw a pink Kacheek coming towards me. She glared at me and picked up the striped paintbrush. I wanted to stop her , but she would laugh in my face. She paid for the paintbrush and dropped twenty Neopoints on the floor as she left. She didn't even bother to pick them up. I dove for them, scooped them into my hands and went to buy myself a chocolate Wocky.

I went back to the soup kitchen and ate my soup sadly. Isabel and the others made light conversation about the 15 Neopoints she'd made that day. She turned to me. "What's wrong DI?"

"Someone bought the striped paintbrush" I whimpered.

Isabel looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry honey. I know how much you wanted one."

I sniffed. "That's okay. I'm sure that Kacheek will look very pretty."

Later we all settled down in the hall to sleep. Well except me. When the others drifted off, I crept outside to our small garden. As I sat there I heard voices. A Striped Kacheek and her owner were coming past our house.

"Don't I look pretty Momma?" she was saying.

"Yes you do," her owner smiled.

"It's the best Neopoints I've ever spent." They passed the house and walked on to Faerieland. On my own I started to cry.

The End