There was something more on his mind.
'Mother lied to me about father, does she wants to protect me from him as well'?'
After he set his mind, both went home.
The wheelbarrow against the wall next to the front door, the kid chose to enter without knocking on the door. Picco was still here, having a talk with Raima about agreements of her deal.
"That's for a moon, it means you are not weighted down from your daily shores, only slightly helped. The quantity will increase with the size of your belly, you won't have to worry about that. He ..."
Picco pointed at Keith, closing the door behind himself.
"...Is advised of the reason I'm here, I suggest you clarify him the situation if needed. I'll be taking my leave, have a good day."
The two white bags were open, inside, Keith could see an assortment of grains and dried fruits as last time he saw Leton, there was probably a large quantity of rice below. Both bags were made out of textile and neared about the size of the buckets.
Her mother got up and inspected the bags.
"The tissue is good enough to make you new shirts. See? With a red knot using the lace you would have a pretty collar."
"I like this shirt a lot already. But I'll be glad to have more clothes."
Keith answered. If Mister Show could enter a shirt, he could enter other shirts. He was happy to see this much edibles items in his living room. They both proceeded to tide up and put away the food to not have it eaten by insects and rodents.
On the afternoon, they could finally water their field, but the plant had already suffered the lack of watering and a yellow shade had begun to take over the green sprouts. The few drops they sprinkled all over their field was their only hope for money income.
Next house, Picco had chosen to pass by. He needed to talk with Alma, as the village's healer. She opened the door after hearing him knock. Alma wasn't a tall person either, but Picco was face to face with her milk-filled breasts.
"Chief assistant! It is good to see you."
Picco's attention changed after one second to look at Alma in the eyes.
"Good morning. I must ask for your knowledge today. I have been tasked to look after Raima and Keith, the mother's health is decaying and letting two villagers die of starvation is unthinkable. The kid is too young to subsist by himself. If you have noticed any significant change in their salubrity tell me."
Alma showed a concerned face, she said hesitatingly.
"Well, I have been concerned about Raima for a few days already. Her face features are more complex and her arms are thinner by the day. She has lost a lot of weight. And there's the... The baby she had to carry, I don't think she lost it because of the rape. I think she lost it just before."
Picco's jaw tightened. The wrinkles on his chin, his temple and the angle of his face appeared more obvious.
"That's nonsense, I've seen her regularly since she agreed with Leton for the first time. Few days before she seemed just fine."
"I'm sure of it myself, there must be an interval where she lost it. Maybe her already weakened state made her body reject the pregnancy. I am living next to her house, I can see any change, but slow evolving event such as growing old or an early pregnancy, are harder to notice. You should ask her how she feels more often."
"I'll have a closer eye on her then. Thanks for your wisdom, healer."
Picco's choice was to return to his activities without talking with Leton, but he knew. The woman was strange, she behaved this way for his son's sake. But if she's not able to carry a child, she was just taking advantage of Leton. He needed a proof before acting.
The short man planned to examine the area around their land during his patrols, looking for a mount of plown dirt or something strange. He'll be looking for the dead baby.
There was only one person who knew its location.
At the end of the day, mother and child had a great dinner. Keith shared a concern with his mother.
"Mother, I don't taste ingredients like before, they all seem devoid of taste."
His mother thought for a bit.
"I think your nose is sick, if you have a small fever your taste will be affected. It'll come back after a few days."
Shyly, after a few bites, he said.
"I want to know why you lied to me earlier, about father. Is it because of you that he left?"
His mother got up and her hand reached the hand-whip.
"That is not something you can force me to tell."
Whack! One blow scratching the air near the table. She neared him.
"That is not something a kid as grateful for his mother sacrificing this much should ask."
Clack! Another one that landed on Keith's forearm. He remained still, only quivering after each blow. He pursed his mouth, he had made her mad again, how could it be possible for someone to be this angry?
"The only thing you have to know, is that everything happened because of this Ned. He killed the baby. He delayed the plans I had for you, but I will definitely do it again, because I love you. Do you have any idea of what he did to me?"
Clack! She grabbed her son's scarified arm and pulled him out of his wooden chair. Then, with a hit in his tibia, he fell on the floor where she maintained him.
"First he stripped me."
She violently pulled his pant, and gripped the shirt while Keith struggled. The shirt was awkwardly wrapped around Keith's shoulders. She did not manage to completely get a rid of it and gave up this part.
Raima firmly held the instrument by its lash part, leaving only the handle out, About the length of a human foot. Even with a skeletal body, it was easy to overwhelm a kid. The latter was very agitated and began to scream.
"He used his dick on your mother. She's now a bitch. She is worth nothing. Nothing!"
She used the handle to demonstrate the act she suffered on Keith.
"See? It is painful, I suffered, he stirred my insides and killed the baby. That is all you have to know. And, I almost forgot."
Her left forearm on his throat, she strangulated him while using her right hand to move the tool.
Inside, outside, spinning, slow, fast, deeper. She tortured her son until she was satisfied. He looked as if his soul had exited his body. There was no more light in his eyes. And no movement on his abdomen.
Raima threw away her tool and washed her hand in the bucket that still had water in. As soon as she turned around, Keith's shirt wrapped his upper torso and compressed itself at a fast pace.
Keith's breath suddenly came back, he inhaled hardly to the full extend of his lungs. Once she heard this grueled breath she looked at him, holding her head, passing her finger through her hair, tearing off most of it.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I did not intend to do this, I didn't meant to! I'm so sorry... I'm sorry, forgive me."
His spirit coming back, he could hear his mother speaking. Her demeanour was incomprehensible, she had a total different attitude now. He thought.
'That's it, she's crazy. She has completely lost it. Yet I'm glad Mister Show didn't get out of there, is it because there's still a bit of light outside?'
He felt his shirt slightly pulling toward the table multiple times, his gaze looked at it from under.
'Yes, I noticed this too, Leton does not give meat to my mother. I think she has cursed me with this damned miracle.'