You are the first one back to the house. You fall into a jog when you get close. It will feel good to get in out of the heat.
Your mother steps into view in the front door, undoing the ties on her apron and squinting as she surveys the various paths back to the house. She catches sight of you.
A tight smile vanishes from her face when she notices that you are still carrying the bowl of hog scraps. You realize your mistake and shift it behind your back—you'd hoped to be able to secret it somewhere near the house and go to feed the hog after dinner, when no one would be the wiser…no such luck, you realize.
Her hands ball into fists. "An entire afternoon," she spits. "An entire day."
"I'll just pop over and feed it now, shall I?" you say, pointing.
"The south wall!" she says, stabbing a finger towards the far side of the house.
Your feet slow. She stalks towards you and snatches the bowl out of your hands. Mixed with the wrath, there seems to be genuine pain in her eyes.
"Bandochel, you cannot survive this way," she says, searching your face. "You will starve. You will die in the stocks for a wastrel. Tame your idleness now or you will make a bad end."
You can see your father and your siblings now, coming up from their respective paths—and you know they can see you as well. Your brothers Oliver and Morris stop short on their way up from the stream, muttering to each other. McKenna, back from the barn, sighs and shakes her head. Your father barely reacts at all.
"The south wall," she repeats. "For your own good." [-Family]
Onward