Slowly, Franz began to grasp the repercussions of living in the shadow of Eustakio's controversial ideas.
Not long ago, their family was well-regarded, welcomed warmly by neighbors and treated with respect wherever they went. Doors opened easily, conversations were cheerful, and the community's goodwill was a constant.
But now, everything had changed. Eustakio's growing notoriety cast a long shadow, and Franz and his mother found themselves ensnared by it.
At first, people approached with curiosity, asking for clarity about Eustakio's position. But once they learned of his outspoken stance—opposing deforestation and calling for limits on resource exploitation—their attitudes hardened. To many, these ideas were nothing short of heresy.
"How can a scientist reject progress?" they whispered.
"Isn't he aware that our prosperity depends on the land we cultivate and the forests we clear?"
Things worsened when Eustakio started speaking publicly against forest clearing. His speeches were seen as a direct threat to local industries and, by extension, the state's interests. Before long, Eustakio was ostracized from intellectual circles, barred from conferences, and branded a radical.
This ostracism trickled down to Franz and his mother.
At school, Franz endured relentless teasing from classmates. The mocking turned crueler with each passing day. The neighborhood, once friendly, grew colder. People gossiped openly about Franz's mother, questioning her loyalty to her first husband and implying she had failed by standing by Eustakio.
Franz tried reasoning with his father, begging him to see the toll his actions were taking on their family.
"Dad, people hate us because of this crusade of yours! They don't understand you, and they don't care. Why can't you just let it go?"
But Eustakio was immovable, driven by a vision only he could see.
Franz felt the weight of rejection keenly. It wasn't just social isolation—it was systemic. When he applied to university, he wasn't denied because of poor qualifications. The rejection letter he received made it painfully clear: Franz was being blacklisted as the son of an enemy of the state.
For the first time in his life, Franz realized the full cost of his father's defiance. He wasn't just outcast; he was marked.
