2021-10-24, 11:46 AM
Jean turned and stumbled into the village to face the hatefulness and the stinging words he knew were coming.
Quickly his mind turned inward, searching for that inner core, that inner space that he had found and needed to latch onto to weather what was coming.
This time he knew it would be a hungry night as well and dug that little bit deeper to make peace with that too. It wouldn't be the first time he had gone to bed hungry and bruised and knew it wouldn't be the last either.
Bartlet came walking towards him with the switch in his hands. His eyes glancing behind Jean to see any evidence of success - but there was none.
The pallet felt a little harder than usual because of the welts across his back and legs. The ointment helped a lot but took time to work. He'd thank Teresa when he saw her again. She was one of the few that still spoke to him with kindness and was sure it was her that had hidden the tin where he would find it. Her mother was the village healer and she helped when she could - which was seldom because Bartlet never allowed it unless it looked like he was dying. A dead boy couldn't chop his wood, trap his meat or run the errands he needed.
Quickly his mind turned inward, searching for that inner core, that inner space that he had found and needed to latch onto to weather what was coming.
This time he knew it would be a hungry night as well and dug that little bit deeper to make peace with that too. It wouldn't be the first time he had gone to bed hungry and bruised and knew it wouldn't be the last either.
Bartlet came walking towards him with the switch in his hands. His eyes glancing behind Jean to see any evidence of success - but there was none.
The pallet felt a little harder than usual because of the welts across his back and legs. The ointment helped a lot but took time to work. He'd thank Teresa when he saw her again. She was one of the few that still spoke to him with kindness and was sure it was her that had hidden the tin where he would find it. Her mother was the village healer and she helped when she could - which was seldom because Bartlet never allowed it unless it looked like he was dying. A dead boy couldn't chop his wood, trap his meat or run the errands he needed.