Immortal Mortals

The consequences

"Meili!" Ai yelled over the top of Tai who was not only blushing heavily, he looked as if he were about to cry.  Running forward, she grabbed the girl around the waist with one hand forcing her to a stop, and with the other hand, she snatched the painting out of her hand.

No sooner was the painting in her hand, than Tai was almost on top of her trying to take it off her.

"Tai!  Meili! Both of you into the main room right now!" she ordered them angrily and though Meili looked thoroughly chastised, Tai looked as if he were about to disobey.  The look on his face was one of resentment and embarrassment and though he moved slightly, Ai had a feeling he was about to disrespect her.

Bringing the painting up to look at it, she wasn't wrong, in one swift move, Tais hand came up to try and rip it out of her hand and in one swift move, she had his hand locked behind his back so fast the tears he had been trying to hold in, were suddenly released causing his embarrassment to rise even further.

"Mother please." he cried as Meili too began to cry.  

Releasing his hand quickly, Ai did not apologize, but she was shocked at her actions and even more at his, instead she folded the painting in half and ordered both children into the main room.  

With both children now sitting, she held up the folded painting and looking directly at Meili, she asked her why her painting would upset her brother to the point of disrespecting her.

With her bottom lip trembling and tears still streaming down her face, Meili explained.  "Mother, you know I paint what I see, and it was what I saw.  I didn't mean to hurt him, it wasn't my intention."she cried looking at her brother.  "That he saw it as something else, is his problem, not mine." she tried to reason with her but somewhat arrogantly, that raised Ais eyebrows.

"Did you have his permission to paint him?" she asked.

Shaking her head slowly, Meili suddenly began to wail loudly, but this time Ai was not going to fall for her tricks, it was something the girl always did whenever she knew she was in trouble, and Ai would always defend her or give in, but after the past week something in Ai had changed.

Having been the soft gentle and kind hearted Ai for so long, she was tired of the pretense, and she was tired of feeling as if she had to be the weak and demure wife who did everything she was told and she was fed up with being disrespected in her own home.  She was no longer going to put up with it anymore.  

Holding the folded painting in her hands, she tore it in half and then again and again, repeating it until only small pieces remained.  Looking on in horror, Meilis pretend wail suddenly became very real as Tai looked on unsure how to react.  This was something very new to him too.

"Meili, that you painted your brother without permission, a rule you are already aware of, your punishment is the loss of your paint for one week." she said softly enough, but her whole demeanor had changed.  "You are no longer child Meili, it is time for you to grow up." 

Never had Meili cried as much as she did then.  In fact both children looked at her in horror.  She had never punished either of them before, and to suddenly hand down such a strict punishment not even Jie would give had them both looking at her in stunned silence.  Though, when Meili tried to negotiate her punishment, it was instantly doubled bringing on even more tears. 

Then looking directly at Tai, she growled him for his insolence and disrespect, but did not punish him, because the fault was not his, but he too looked as if he were also about to start crying again, she had never once raised her voice to either of them, and they were now desperate for Jies return.