You Are Brothers

Every day, before dinner, their room will be inspected.  If their beds are made up, nothing (hidden) under their beds, quilts, pillows; writing desks and stationeries neatly kept, trash, soiled laundry, and toys put away, school bags packed and put aside, clothes for the next morning prepared, bath towels hung up in the shower room - all to be completed before 6pm dinner time - they will get their dinner.

The new house rule was set yesterday, in yet another of our numerous attempts to keep their bedroom clean and orderly.  This evening, Ludwig became the first man of the house to receive this honorable penalty.  

I had given all of them ample time, in fact, more time than I had liked to, to tidy up their room.  It wasn't in a terrible state, it just needed a bit of time and discipline to get things in their proper places. Their challenge wasn't on the mundane task.  It was they themselves.  Instead of setting their minds up to just do it, they were obsessed by finger-pointing and letting the mouths do the talking while they should actually let their hands do the work.  Their non-stop bickerings, one telling the other who did this and who did that, who is supposed to clear this, who is responsible for the mess there.  If the argument couldn't be contained in time, it would break into some physical activity amongst those parties involved.  Then I would hear cryings and loud complaints and this and that.  Sigh.

At dinner, Ludwig was absent at the table.  He deliberately stayed in bed because he couldn't have dinner.  Bart caught him weeping.  I told him to come down and sit with us, while we had dinner.  It must have been a torture for him, as I saw his eyes glistening with tears.  I don't know who felt the pain more.  He, the one who was being punished, or me, the one executing the penalty.  But the rule was set and I had to harden my heart and grit my teeth to exercise what had been communicated clearly to them.  Or I would look like one who doesn't mean what she says.  (Christophe is out for a 2-day meeting, so guess who has to cringe her heart throughout dinner?)

But hey!  Something so heartwarming happened the minute after I hinted, "you are all brothers".  Enzian, Bart and Johann all gave Ludwig a portion of their food to share with.  Enzian being the biggest contributor.  I was surprised by their display of brotherly love, so ready, so willingly, so generously.  All their grudges against one another gone, a stark contrast to minutes before while they were still at each other's back.

They are brothers after all.