"Wake up!" He shouted with mocking laughter.
Jonah did not want to open his eyes, he knew something terrible would happen to him, and he had no one to turn to, not even God because he had abandoned him long before he was born. He was reluctant to rejoin, so they grabbed him and forced him to get up on his feet. They took off his robe and started throwing snow at him, while they continued their burlesque laughter.
Please don't hurt me, I'm just a child," said Jonah between moans, with a voice that went out with every word he said. His words were lost amidst the laughter of the villagers, who did not seem to hear him speak.
"Stop it, you damn pigs!" Jonah finally cried out in anger and helplessness.
"Shut up and listen to me, son of the Devil," shouted an angry Alfredo to Jonah and added, "We never want to see you again walking the streets of our town, scaring the real children and instilling disgust in everyone who sees you" Jonah laughed listlessly and said, "Then you are my father because I don't think anyone but the Devil himself could cause a child so much harm, and no, I'm not leaving here. I am a human being with the same rights as you."
Alfredo said nothing, took Jonah by the neck, and immersed both his heads in the water. The poor boy struggled without the result. When Alfredo pulled him out almost unconscious, he asked him with a smile:
"Will you listen to me now?"
"I will not leave my village," answered Jonah. This time, Alfredo, in front of all the villagers who saw in awe what was happening, but who did nothing, took a stick and began to beat the boy mercilessly. Jonah was screaming as much as his lungs would allow him and wallowing in pain in the snow. If it hadn't been for one of the women there, who felt a little compassion for the boy, he would have killed him.
"Stop it, Alfredo, you're going to kill him. I don't think we'll see him in the village again," said the woman, and then some of the people watching realized she was right and supported her. This is the only way they could get her to leave him alone. They all ran away from there when they saw that the "monster" as they called him, was not moving. Why run away in fear? He was just a monster, an aberration.
Almost motionless from the pain and cold, Jonah began to come to, but remembering what happened, he could not help but cry out in anger and bitterness. He wondered, how could people with such horrific feelings exist? Slowly he regained consciousness and tried to walk home. He could barely move forward, and the cold and pain caused him a sense of agony. Many times on the way, he thought of letting himself die in the snow. After all, he had no reason to live, and neither would he, but he wanted revenge on those ''people'' who had harmed him.
"Alma, I am so sorry that you had to suffer so much because of me. I know you feel my fear and all my pain. Please forgive me," the boy said to his little sister. Jonah felt a few drops of water run down his chest, looked at Alma, and felt an awl in his heart. It wasn't water, it was torn, coming from his sister's closed eyes. Alma was crying, although her face seemed serene.
"I will always be with you, my soul, because you will always be by my side. You are my soul, and for you, I live. Lara lara, lara, laralaaa." Jonah began to sing that song he had invented a long time ago to try to calm his sister. Although she can't talk he knew that in her there was another girl who had suffered much more than he had. That night he sang it repeatedly, until, as if by a miracle, he managed to get home. When she was in front of him, she took a couple of steps and collapsed at the door.
He started knocking and knocking endlessly, waiting for someone to let him in, but it seemed that there was no one in the house, no one would open for him. However, Jonas was very wrong, there was Mr. and Mrs. Caraballo inside, looking at him hidden behind the curtain of one of the windows and doubting whether or not to open the door for him. That was the perfect opportunity for their adopted son to die, and no one would blame them. After much thought, and determined to let him die of cold, they headed for his quarters, but a shout stopped them both.
"For God's love let me in! I'm dying!" Shouted Jonah, in the most pitiful voice they had ever heard. Then Mrs. Felicia returned to open the door for him, claiming that they could not let him die because she still needed the food ration that the government gave her. Mr. Gustavo's heart was also wrinkled, so he said nothing and let the woman let the child in.
When the door was opened, Jonas crawled inside, as he could not walk, he was paralyzed. Mrs. Felicia said nothing, much less tried to help him, just closed the door again and left. She thought she had already done too much for the boy by letting him in. Jonah continued to crawl to his room, where he curled up in a corner and tried to fall asleep without success. He was the victim of uncontrollable shaking and brutal pain until he passed out, and only then could he rest for a moment.