Sakto namang narinig nila ang mga yabag na patungo sa kinaroroonan nila. Kasabay ang dumadagundong na boses ng kanilang ama.
"Where?! Where is that imbecile?!" Mateo angrily asked. He was even taking off the leather belt he was wearing.
As soon as he entered the common hall, he saw his two son in front of his wife. One was kneeling and the other was planted on the wall while shattered debris was scattered on the floor beside him. Both of their faces were paled.
They looked pitiful and seeing them like that somehow diminished his anger a bit. But still, a punishment is a must especially...
"Who are you to force my wife to pick you up in that place, huh?! Lie down on your stomach, Miguelito! Now!"
"Papa!" Amie, who just arrived at humahangos pa ay agad na nilapitan si Mateo. "Papa! L-let's calm down first, okay? My brothers are just naughty. But they are not bad eggs! They are regretting it already! The both of them will never do it again!"
If it was normal times, they would have laughed with Amie's words. Was she really pacifying their parents? Why, she sounded like she was adding oil to the fire! And bad eggs?
But with her pale face and still huffing chest, they knew she was really trying to save her brothers.
Usually, when she intervened like this, it would be effective even for a bit. Her brothers would be punished but only lightly. However, today...
Mateo threw a look at Yumi, who met his gaze and then shook her head. He knew then that she meant no leniency this time. He called out to Sedric who was just outside the common hall and told him to take care of his wife (Amie). After that, he grabbed the cloth on Uno's nape then dragged him to the wooden bed behind the partition. Soon, strikes of leather could be heard from there followed by younger lad's muffled groans.
***
With every strike and every groan from Uno, Yumi felt it straight to her heart. Knowing how hurtful the punishment was for her son, caused her greater pain too.
But she stayed there. She listened intently to the sound of groans of Uno.
As his parents, she and Mateo had to do this. They needed him to learn his lesson this time.
Amongst their kids, Uno was always the naughtiest of them three. He was also the one who was full of curiousities. When they were young, he caused the three of them got lost all night in a foreign land after hearing a story and got curious of the heroes from there. Yumi and Mateo had to look for them for the whole day and only found them the next day.
In ordinary days, she could overlook Uno's mischievous deeds. But not this time.
Gaya ng sabi niya, would he murder or rape someone just because he was curious?
He was already 20 years old yet he was still acting like a dandy boy. At para bang wala itong pangarap na gawin sa buhay.
Amie is 21 years old, already married and helping out in the guild.
Dos is 20 years old too but even at the young age, he already knew what he wanted to do. To be a doctor.
Namumukod tangi lang si Uno na hindi mapirmi sa iisang propesyon. She already had him tried to be in the guild, also medicine. She even let him handle some of their businesses but all of it produced no fruit at all.
When it comes to Uno's prospect, Yumi was really clueless.
Yun ang naabutan ni Mateo ng lumabas siya mula sa partition. Yumi was pale, obviously, she was affected too because of Uno's punishment. But she was also thinking about this child's future.
