Chapter 14 - Deprivation for Perseverance, Patience, & Submissiveness

He would like to share to his children the way he was raised by his strict but loving and understanding grandparents.

From their children's babyhood, Kenneth and Leonor agreed not to frequently give in to their wants. If it would be their needs, we'll... they said;

"there would be no problem about it" if they had the money to give their needs, then they could purchase it. If none at all, they would have to do something to raise an amount needed to buy it.

They had three children that means that they would be dealing with the three different individuals with cha-

racter traits that define their personality uniquely. They likewise avoided to make comparison among the three.

They had started their agreement when their first born child was only three years old.

They were at a mall when they happened to be in the area where toys were displayed to be sold. Lizbeth requested to buy another expensive doll which they turned down.

The little girl threw her tantrum, wailing scandalously while seated on the floor thumping her feet and legs on it, pulling her braided long curly black hair. She even jumped and rolled on the floor shouting and crying. Instead of giving in to calm her down, they did not go on with their shopping spree for they just decided to go home.

At home, the husband and wife got her expensive dolls from a toy shelf and put them in front of her.

"What are these?"

"Expensive dolls, daddy." She answered between her sob.

Who destroyed them?"

"It's me, mommy."

"When did we buy them for you?"

"This one was bought last December. This... was a birthday gift..

These two were purchased when I was only two years old and these other three were bought last month."

"Do you think we would still buy you another toy for you to disassemble them?"

"I think.... (she hesitated for a minute or two,) No, mommy."

"If you can fix them again, then that would be the time to buy you another for your collection."

"Yes, daddy."

They explained and discussed with her that they could not just said any encantation to earn money for her caprices and whims. Therfore, according to them.....her wants could not be granted even though she would be shedding bloody tears. They also gave her punishment for the misconduct she did at the mall by sitting on her small chair facing the wall for one hour.

When she complaint, she was warned that the punishment would be prolonged to more than one hour. If she would apologise and promise not to misbehave, then that one hour would be reduced to thirty minutes.

They explained it by using ice drop sticks to illustrate how long was one hour and how would thirty minutes would be shorter than it.

They were grateful that it was imprinted in her mind.

Kelly, their second born child was not that easy to deal with. He was so stubborn that once accosted with his demands, the more he would be persistent with it.

Once grounded by facing a wall, he would sneak out from that place if no one was around to impose the punishment with him. Hence, his punishment became longer than what was originally decided by Kenneth and Leonor.

To curtail his defiance they would strictly impose to an enclosure punishment in the study room where his father would be able to watch him behave or misbehave on his punishment.

They stopped leaving him inside his

locked bedroom as they wouldn't like to regret the same thing he did... Scattering all the things that made his room messy. They weren't sure if the punishment to messing up of all his mess made him learned his lesson.

Before the eyes of Kenneth, Kelly could no longer defy him as he put his belt on his table beside his laptop.

"Try me with your defiance once more and you will be beaten with this belt. If you would not still heed to our words, we would ask the police chief officer to detain you in that stinky filthy prison cell."

He was grounded for three long hours without defiance.

For the third hour facing the wall

he apologised and promised not to misbehave and defy again.

The supposedly five hours was immediately ended to three hours. However, the counseling from his family's psychologist no other than Leonor (who took up child and general psychology in her college level in her education course) followed suit. The counseling lasted for two hours with a meal served inside the little space for their praying room, a little church at their

home.

By just looking at Alken, anybody could tell his benevolence and tolerance. But once he was provoked, he was a fighter. He would fight back till he won.

There was no problem with him in his obedience despite his assertiveness.

Most likely he was punished because of the tauntings of Kelly. Among the three, he had the shortest punishment time as he would apologize at once. But once he apologized, he sounded to be poking the blame to his older brother.

"Daddy and mommy, I am sorry for upsetting you again. Next time, the moment 'Kuya' (an address to an older brother) would provoke me, I would just disregard him. Or... Dad... Mom... Can I squeal out his provocations against me?"

So... their personalities were already exposed with you dear readers.

The same punishment to each and everyone of these three children were

often open to their violation against what they had promised. The first time they violated their promises, they would be kneeling down on the floor... Second offense would causesz them to kneel down on a floor with a salt... Third offense would result to no daily pocket money to school, no watching television shows, no playing with their siblings and friends, not one between Kenneth and Leonor would attend the monthly PTA -

Parents Teacher Association meeting and the mobile phone would be confiscated.

From that time on, Little by little they learn to curtail their defiance, stubbornness, out of this world demands, and quarreling between one another (Kelly & Alken).

They would not just easily give in.

to their whims to instill perseverance, patience and determination to have it on their own accord.

From the time Lizbeth Mae had her monthly period, they started praying to the Lord that their daughter shouldn't experience Kenneth's 'Love At First Sight' when he accidentally glanced to the place where Leonor was seated watching him sang his contest song.

Nevertheless, they were quite relieved that on her eighteenth existence on earth with them, she hadn't fallen in-love yet with her opposite sex. She was also very frank criticizing her suitors in front of her parents, kid brothers, and her nanny.

On the contrary, Alken who was at that time only twelve years old would brag of her female school mates who would usually pounce at his arms just to catch his attention for them.

The husband and wife were wondering about Kelly's attitude when they had family conversation on crushes or admiration to an opposite sex. Neither would he share his experience nor express his opinion about it. He was introvert when the topic was about girls of their age. He kept his opinion mum for years since his childhood. Not a word came out from his mouth about his opposite sex.

Fear in their heart resulted to skepticism that Kelly might be a.....

"Oh, no! Lord please don't let him be." Leonor prayed with Kenneth listening to her.

"Do you agree if I shall employ to investigate him secretly?" Kenneth asked Leonor's approval to calm her down.

"What could be his reaction if he found it out?"

"He would not ever find it. Believe me, he won't. Kenneth assured him confidently.

"He would be tailing him?" Leonor was trying to extract his method in knowing the truth.

"He would befriend him and create a gang for him."

" But.... Ken... Are you sure of our Kelly's safety?"

"Five hundred percent, darling."

"Five hundred percent, your ass. I

would make you pay once Kelly would be with a bad gang.""

"Hey! Who Am I to Kelly? Do you think I could put him in a dangerous situation who could be a bad influence with him?" He protested sulkily.

For the first time in their eighteenth years of marriage, they didn'"t

talk until Kenneth left for his work.

No snaking out from the eyes of their children to make out or love making at the garage inside his car happened that day.

Although Leonor did her usual chores tending his needs before leaving

for the airfield, she did not walk him out to the garage.

While going upstairs to prepare herself to report to the school where she was assigned as the school head, she was talking to herself just like when she was just the teenage sweetheart of Kenneth.

"Heh! He acted like the Prime Minister of the whole world implying that I am an idiot.!?"