Because we are too many

[This is a short story based on Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure". This is actually a retelling of one of the scenes in the novel]

In the diminishing daylight Jude and his wife with their three children went along the roadway to the city looking for a temporary dwelling. The mother cradled her youngest child in her arms, her two sons at her side.
It was Sunday. The busy atmosphere was gone, the citizens have gone home. The sun, now being conquered by night, gave one last curious alert-like look before submitting itself to the abrupt spreading of darkness.
Amid the lengthy hours of descending the steep slopes they reached the city, until suddenly, the sky sent down heavy drops of rain, and the oozing hot air of sunny day transformed into cool and freezing wind.
Soaked to skin, they moved about aimlessly momentarily stopping at every house begging the doorkeeper tp let them stay for the week.
But no luck welcomed them.
Sick and tired of walking all day, they settled down for a moment in an old pub but the tender drove them out.
Jude tried their luck once more. He stayed calm but his anxiety was apparent on his damp pale face.
The rain got angrier than before accompanied by a violent wind. Jude, the eldest of the three children, five years of age, yanked the sleeve of his mother and asked, 'Why did they not let us in?'
A prolonged look pity was all the mother could afford as she held her son with her left arm into a tight but careful embrace.
As they kept on going, it seemed that fate has not forever shunned them. They had found a place at last. An old woman admitted and guided them to a not so elegant but well-kept small lodging.
'There are two beds: one here', she said, pointing at an old-fashioned bed, 'and the other behind that door. The kitchen's behind that drapery'. She motioned to leave but halted suddenly and asked, 'How long will you stay?'
'About a week, madam', Jude replied.
'Very well'. She left.
The storm outside did not give a hint as to when will it stop. The splashing sound can be heard as the violent wind swept along the deserted streets of the city. The evening grew darker; it was not safe to stride along the wet roads of that cold stormy night. Simultaneously with the storm, the five month old baby girl suddenly cried letting out a disturbing sound. Jude the younger watched his mother as she enfolded his sister in bed.
Maybe she's freezing, he thought, fixing his gaze to his crying sister.
'Aren't you going to bed, Jude?' his mother asked.
He motioned to the door without answering, but soon replied:
'Good night'.
He closed the door behind him and slipped into bed where his younger brother lay already asleep. He could still hear his sister's cries in harmony with the angry storm. How long will it last, he did not know. He tried to sleep but he can't--his mind was bothered by something.
Half an hour past, Jude was still wide awake, his sister still crying and thinking of that thing that bothered him. Suddenly, he heard a voice outside. Curious, he stood up and opened the door and saw his father talking to the old woman.
'What do you mean we can't stay?' his father asked irritatingly.
'I'm sorry, sir, but my husband can't stand the noise and he doesn't want--'
'We will pay you another if you want', the mother interrupted.
'I'm sorry, but--'
'We have no place to go. Give us ...uhh... three days', the father pleaded.
Pity comes to the woman's senses as she stared and saw Jude the elder's pleading eyes. 'All right, then'.
She motioned off.
Jude the younger saw his father's face clothed with a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment. He was suddenly startled by his mother's voice:
'You're still awake, Jude?'
'I can't sleep'.
'It's getting late, my dear, you must be in bed.'
Jude did not stir and for a moment he remained in pace then asked, 'Did she wants us out?'
His mother stared at him knowing not what to say; she can't afford lying to her son, thus, she nodded.
'Why did she wants us out?' he asked again worriedly.
'Because we are too many', his father interrupted minding not the meaning of what he said.
Jude said nothing in return and moved off to go to bed.
As he remained motionless in bed, the voice of his father lingered in his mind: Because we are too many...
A sudden thought flickered on his young innocent mind:
Now I know why people drive us out.
With that thought he shut his eyes and dozed to sleep.

******
The next day, Jude the younger woke up early. The storm was gone, leaving a cool atmosphere all over the place. The sun was already up; its rays were visible and was generously admitted by the opened window.
The bed outside the room was empty except for his sister who laid sleeping soundly. Apparently, Jude's mother and father were out. Maybe they had gone to look for breakfast, he thought.
And then he recalled what he had just thought last night. He looked around him and approached the main door; he opened it and glanced outside sensing if there's someone lurking around. He finally closed and locked it.
He motioned inside and picked up a piece of paper from their luggage and wrote something on it. He posted it outside the door of their room. He approached his sister and carried her, and soon entered the room.
Now they will never drive us out...
The harrowing cries of his little sister was temporary until for all that moment silence reigned the place...

********
'Thank you, sir.'
'Be sure to be here tomorrow at morn', the master mason said as Jude the elder shook his hand. He shot a pleasant smile to his wife who stood beside the masonry gate. He approached her happily and said, 'I got in.'
Hearing the good news, she hugged him tight and the two of them can't wait to tell it to their children.
Strolling about the city, the happy couple's mood was visible upon that bright sunny morning. The night's storm left no trace of having been there at all as the citizen of the city busied themselves of today's work except for the damp smell of the road , which was now gradually evaporating with the help of the heat of the sun. They got used to the changing weather, obviously seen on the way they handled the day and on the way they continued living despite life's changing course of progress. Nothing could be done to stop them from struggling to survive--the same as for Jude and his wife.
Arriving home, the two were surprised to see the house so quiet. The mother was also surprised to not see the baby on their bed.
'Jude?' she called out. No one answered.
'Maybe they're still asleep', the father said.
They moved towards the room and found a piece of note posted at the door. It bore five words; some misspelled, written in a rather clumsy and childish way:

BeCoz we aRE
to Many

Wondering, Jude opened the door. he could not believe what he saw; his wife behind screamed in horror.
There on top was their son's body suspended from a beam; a piece of rope tied around his neck. At the bed lay two motionless bodies: the younger son and the baby--all three were cold and dead.
Jude took down his son's body from being hanged and carried it outside the room laying it on their bed. He carried the others and lay them beside and soon tried to revive all of them from death. His wife could only cry in agony.
Realising there's nothing can be done, he strolled inside the room as if searching for someone and suddenly whimpered in pain. His wife's agony lingered in his ears. He stood and snatched the piece of note from the door and hurried outside.
Bitter tears flowed freely now one Jude's eyelids as he stared with painful heart at his three dead children. He could not restrain his tears and went down on his knees sobbing aloud, clutching the piece of paper in his hand bearing those five words.
Five words he can never forget... he will never forget...