As everyone sat at dinner they were all shocked to see the new behavior Madame Devlin displayed.
She dished a larger portion of food on her plate, one would say maybe she wanted her young Lucius to eat directly from mother's plate. But that wasn't it, young Lucius was served a smaller portion, a portion that wouldn't even be enough for a boy of five. But they was nothing he could do then to eat his meal with grudge.
"Child !"
His mother Madame Devlin called her son who was fast asleep on the camp mat.
"Child…!".
She called again, this time with a squeeze of his hands.
"Huhmm" he mumbled.
"Wake up". She commanded.
But young Lucius fell back to sleep.
"I said..wake up !" She shouted loud enough to have drawn the attention of the other sleepers.
"I am so sorry.." she whispered to no one in particular.
But young Lucius was still deeply asleep.
Few minutes later she came back with a bowl of water.
"Lucius Devlin wake up!" This time she talked as though she was being possessed.
Without further hesitation she poured the bowl of water on her young boy.
"Father..!" Lucius cried out from his sleep.
"How did you ended up this way? If your father were still alive, God rest his soul. You definitely would not turn out like this, so..lazy. Have I gone wrong in my care for you? Has it become too much? God help your soul".
She stood in silence staring at her eight years son crying in his sleep.
"How have you become so lazy? Young man will you get up". She rised him up .
"Father…father…father " he kept on screaming.
"If father were here you definitely would be like this . I have failed him" she cried. " I have failed you, I have failed my Kingdom".
"No you haven't " a voice said from behind, it sounded so much like the river goddess'
"Narmada?" She called turning backwards.
"Narmada? "
"Oh I am sorry I thought it was someone else ". She smiled.
"Hmm" Madame Reynolds smiled. "Well ..I must say you are doing the right ".
"The right thing? How? if I may ask. Do you mean doing the right thing is like? "
she pointed at her son who was fast asleep not paying notice to the water on the mat.
"Yes.."madame Reynolds laughed." You are correcting your wrongs my dear". She smiled.
"And you don't think it's too late? He is over pampered, I didn't wanted for him to feel the absence and I guess…I overdid it " she fell on her foot sobbing.
"Yes my dear, but you have realized your fault now, and I can see you are making amends ".
"Will rectifying my actions bring positive results? He is over pampered already ".
"Yes dear, it will" madame Reynolds patted her head and went back to mat.
"Just for this night boyo , you sleep soundly . Only if you were here Devlin my love, Lucius would not have turned out this way".
"She laid down to sleep not regarding the water".
" I caused this, I must be a part of the outcome ".