VII.Principle of Tender Years

All the trainees prepared to move out and start their way to the next rendezvous, Porette Terme. Elis packing his things, Zack noticed him holding a government issued knife attaching it to his pants.

Zack -"Hey, where did you get that?

Elis -"You can have one of these at the counter where they give government issued utilities."

Elias -"What for?"

Elis -"I don't think we killed all the wolves. I still saw one out there before we left the forest."

Kenneth -"Hm... If so, why didn't it tried to attack us along with the others?"

Elis -"I'm not sure yet."

Zack -"Hey Kenneth, can you put this other rations on your bag, mine's full."

Kenneth -"Why don't you give them to Elias, or Elis?"

Zack -"I already put the others there. Only you who haven't put anything on yours."

Kenneth -"Well my bag's full already too."

Elias -"How? You haven't shared space for our packs yet."

Zack -"Let me see that." -took Kenneth's bag

Zack -"Ugh! It's full of bear's insides."

Elias -"Kenneth, why do you still have to keep that sausages? We already got our rations."

Kenneth -"Non'ya business."

Elis took the rest of the rations and put it into his bag, he can see Kenneth seems to have something in his mind that's bothering him every time they make fun of his sausages. Elis knows it wasn't from sarcasms they make with it, but still can't determine what exactly it is.

Elis -"Let him be. You can give more of that to me, I still have space on mine."

12:43

Elis is still observing Kenneth while they are eating their meal rations, Kenneth roasts his own made sausages on the fire. Kenneth just stares at it as his mind is preoccupied. Kenneth can still hear his mother's voice...

Part 1 - Unsteady

Mom -"Kenneth! Come now, food is ready."

Young Kenneth busy playing on the grass with his toys he brought to the park while they are having picnic.

Dad -"Come on now kid, let's eat. Come."

Young Kenneth turned around from afar, but you can see the child's big smile. He runs toward his parents sitting beside the food laid over on a cloth his mother herself sewed laid on the ground. He can see his parents waiting for him, his mother waving him to come over, his father lays on the ground smiling at him. When Kenneth arrived, he grabbed immediately the roasted chicken's leg and took a bite.

Dad -"Whoa! That's one big bite." *surprised

Mom -"Hey, wait just a moment Kenneth, you haven't washed your hands yet. Your hands are so dirty."

Kenneth -"Eat!"

Mom took some water and wet a cloth to wash Kenneth's hands, Kenneth turned his back and continue eating.

Mom -"Hey, Kenneth, wash your hands first."

Kenneth -"Eat! Wanna eat!"

Dad -"You have to wash your hands first, Kenneth. So you won't catch germs and get sick."

Mom -"Right, you don't want to get sick don't you? Remember when you got sick before weekend, we weren't able to go outside because we have to take care of you so we only had the chance to have picnic the next weekend?"

Kenneth listened to his mother but only gave one hand to be washed and the other still clenching the roast chicken while you can see his mouth pouted. His father was amazed with what he did and laughed.

Dad -"No one's gonna take that from you Kenneth. It's all yours. Eat whatever you like, Mom prepared all of that for you."

Mom -"Dad's right Kenneth, and nobody's gonna take it from you. Nobody can take anything away from you baby." *smiles and kisses Kenneth on the forehead

After eating their meal, Kenneth's mom and dad packed up their things so they can go play at the park.

Mom -"Kenneth, can you pick up your toys now and bring them to me, come on, help mom so we can go to the playground."

Kenneth picked up his toys and as he is walking back toward his parents, he can see them standing waiting for him. His dad's arm on his mom's shoulder, his mom holding their picnic basket.

Dad -"Let's go kid."

It's been their family routine, or habit to be exact, to go outside every weekend. Have some fresh air on their picnic, his parents watch him as he play on the playground with some of the kids also playing there. Go to the park, play some games, go to the carnival, buy some toys, have fun, fall asleep and Kenneth just wakes up when they're home. Kenneth couldn't ask for more, his Dad works for the government as a Project Contractor for the W.A.L.L. project. Every government employee in this age, have all the luxuries in life. Government provides everything, and I mean, everything. Food, shelter, clothing, scholarship, all free. Everything that you can see inside their home is provided in courtesy of the government's generosity. O'Father declared that every government employee are considered asset to furthering their goal. So his mother didn't have to find work and only tend in raising him, that's why Kenneth grew to be more close to his mother.

One weekend, same as always, Kenneth was playing at the park. His mother went to buy some drinks and snack for the three of them. Kenneth crawled up the slide rather using the ladder, when he got to the top he saw his Dad talking on the phone, he thought it was just his Mom on the other end of the phone. He continued playing on and went down the slide, when he is about to ran to his Dad he realized he wasn't there, so he just went back on playing again.

It's been hours, and as child like Kenneth, for him it's been forever but his parents were not yet to be seen around. Kenneth was found sitting on a bench when his mother came, but his gladness seeing his mother was shortly changed to being confused. His mother didn't greet him as she usually did, grabbed him by the hand and went straight home without a chat with her child, or even just telling Kenneth why his Dad wasn't with them.

Arriving home, Kenneth was just told to go to his bedroom. Kenneth followed as her mother instructed. Minutes later, Kenneth hears his father come in and not a minute after he hears his parents arguing already. The fight went on and on and on and on. The child, so innocent of what's happening, just sitting on the corner of his bed waiting to be tucked by his mom.

It's midnight, their home suddenly became quite. The child Kenneth was thinking twice to go outside the room, he might not like what he will see out there. But still... He is curious. This never happened before, he didn't know it can happen to them. The tender child could never believe such a thing as this could ever exist in his loving family. So... Kenneth braved himself up. Slowly opened his door. He can't see his Mom, but can certainly hear her crying, sobbing. He looked at his parent's room's door, he can hear his Dad doing something. He walked towards the door where his Dad is. Kenneth peeked on a cleft of the door opening, he saw his father packing up his things. His Dad was so busy he didn't even notice their only child watching behind him.

When his Dad finished packing his things, paused a while, tears dropping on his bag. When he turned around, there he saw Kenneth, standing frozen with unbelief, confused of what is happening...

Dad -"Oh Kenneth..." *cries heavily

Kenneth's Dad broke down in tears and cried kneeling in front of him.

Kenneth -"Where you going Dad? Why is Mom crying? Stop fighting please?"

Dad -"Mom and Dad has to go separate ways baby. Dad has hurt Mom so much, too much that Dad can't make the same mistake twice. Please understand."

Kenneth -"What did you do Dad?"

His father didn't know what to answer. He embraced his son for the last time and cried as hard like he never did before in his life. But Kenneth didn't hug back.

His Dad brought him downstairs where he sees his mother crying.

Dad -"I have to go now, you know Dad loves you, right? Kenneth?" "Caroline, take care of him for me please?"

Kenneth held his father's hand so tight, he doesn't wish his father to leave. His father knelt and wiped his tears.

Dad -"Son..."

Kenneth -"If you love me, don't let go."

Mom -"Kenneth... not now... PLEASE!"

Kenneth -"NO!!!"

Kenneth held onto the table and wrapped his other arm around his father's leg. Mom stood up crying embraced Kenneth and tried pulling him from grabbing his father's leg. The child broke down and cried and screamed holding on. His mother sat down on the floor crying, Kenneth is still determined not to give up and held on as strong as he can. His father tries to gently remove him from embracing his leg. In the end the child grew tired and can't wrestle anymore and let go and watched his father walked out the door.

Days past, Kenneth's mother never left the couch ever since, never moved, sat still in a corner. Young Kenneth has been eating the same food left on the table for the last 3 days, and now the food is spoiled. The 4 year old child can't make food for himself and he is hungry, he went to his mother.

Kenneth -"Mom... I'm hungry."

His mother didn't respond, just sitting by like she heard nothing, not in herself.

Kenneth -"Mom..."

More days past and continued as it is, Kenneth can't stand his hunger. The child only drinks water, he became thin. Kenneth decided to go outside and find some food. Passing by a convenient store, he went in. In his hunger Kenneth ate whatever food he can grab inside and caught by the owner. As a child, he doesn't have a mark yet for trading, what's marked in his hand is only for identification. He was held inside the store until his mother was called out and arrived to fetch him. Kenneth's mother came and paid for the bill. Seeing Kenneth sitting down...

Mom -"Oh Kenneth..." *cried and embraced her only child

"I'm so sorry baby, Mom is so sorry..." "I didn't know what I was doing, forgive me baby I wasn't myself. I just..." "Forgive me..."

Kenneth -"Mom... If you love me, please hold on."

That week after, Kenneth's mother decided to go to a psychiatrist and was given prescriptions. That is when the condition became worse. His mother died from months of overdosing her medicines. During this age, families are valued less. When a couple is married, it has been customary to go to a different place, a different country to start their family. Finance has never been a problem, since the Elysium Age started, there are no more people to be called poor within the walls.

Kenneth left of no one to be with, left his house at an exceptional young age before the Government was able to takehim to a shelter. With the age of four, wandered around inside the walls. Developed his own lifestyle and way of living in the streets of a peaceful land. Developed his own ability to survive.

>>>

So... why the sausage? Maybe a trophy, for killing the bear. If he is a hunter. But with Kenneth's condition, maybe yes; a trophy, but not for killing, but for surviving. With the darkness he's gone through, maybe he has learned to make a home in him where he is provided food, shelter and clothing by HIMSELF. And eating that sausage gives him comfort, a comfort of his own new home.

"As Ironic as it can be, you trust mountains to cover you, but sometimes they were the one to destroy you unsuspectingly. Innocent children's lives being crushed in between."

"Families should be held dearest of all. Fame and fortune may come and go, but family only come once in a lifetime but can also go only once and may not return."

つづく...