-What?
The kid dropped the sticks in her hands and moved closer, smiling as she prepared herself to say her answer. "It's this one, isn't it?" she said while pointing at my hunting knife.
I moved my hand up, and with the handle of that knife, I hit her head lightly. She complained and then changed her answer, saying that the other knife was better.
-Nope -I said while hitting her head again, but this time with the other knife's handle.
She started rubbing the spot where I hit her, inspecting the knives closer in the meantime. She looked at my knife again and then pointed at it with her finger.
-Isn't this one the best?
-Why?
-Because your dad made it! -she claimed with a smile.
-Nice try kid, but flattery will get you nowhere. -I let go of the kitchen knife and as it fell to the floor, I flicked her forehead with my index finger- The answer is: It depends.
She frowned as soon as I heard my answer, calling me stupid as she put her left hand on her forehead. Then, with an angry yet curious face, she asked me the reason why her answer wasn't correct.
-What makes you think mine is better? -I asked while presenting the knives to her again.
-Well…
-You're just saying that without thinking about it, aren't you?
-Yeah…
I pinched her cheek, laughing at her response. She pouted once she saw me laughing, but instead of starting another argument, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
-Look, the answer is really easy.-I told her as I let go of her cheek and pinched the other one-What can you do with both of them?
-Cut?
-Yeah… But you can also… -I let go of her cheeks and made a gesture of stabbing.
-Stab?
-Good job! -I said in a condescending tone.
-I hate you…
-Aww… Is someone mad…?
I mocked the kid, watching her pout as I made fun of her. Perhaps teaching wasn't so bad after all. I mean, I got to make fun of someone while also acting like a wise man…
-Ok, kid!-I hit her forehead while she pouted-Time for the real lesson!
-Huh?-she asked as she rubbed her forehead-Wasn't this the lesson?
-I mean… Yeah? But no…
She took a deep breath and stared at me. It felt as if her eyes were trying to penetrate my skull. "That doesn't even make sense," she told me while keeping a deadly stare on her eyes.
I let out a little sigh as I listened to her. To be honest, she was right, I was not making sense. However, it was my lesson, so even if I was not making any sense, I was the one who decided how the lesson should go.
-You know what kid? You're right,-I said as I kneeled, picking up the two best sticks that she brought-this lesson is not making any sense.
-Aww… Thank you…!-she responded in a mocking tone, imitating the same tone I used with her earlier.
-I hate you…
-So do I-she answered with a smile.
I gave her a grossed look. I could have started another argument, but instead I just took one of the sticks and hit her head with it.
-Can you stop hitting me?
-Nope… -I said with a smile- Masters discipline their pupils, don't they?
-They used to… But that was like 30 years ago!
I frowned at her answer, letting my stick fall down on her head again. The kid fell back to the ground, rubbing the spot where my stick hit her.
-My dad used to say that old ways were the best, so we're sticking with that-I proudly said with a smile as I put down the sticks in my hand so she could grab on them and be pulled upwards.
-This is stupid…
-Feel free to leave if that's what you want.
The kid kicked her right foot to the ground. Her pouting made her face go red. But just as it looked like she was gonna say something really aggressive, her stomach made a really loud noise.
-You know what?-she said with an awkward smile, her face returning to its regular color-I think I'll keep going with you.
I shook my head from side to side while smiling. At that time, I thought that maybe, just maybe, the decision of bringing her with me wasn't so bad…
With a sigh and a smile, my stick fell down on her head again, but this time the attack was a lot lighter. Just as the kid moved up her eyes to see me, I made a gesture with my head, telling her to keep following me.
We walked for a long time in almost complete silence. The only words that we exchanged were a little talk about birds and some arguments along the way.
After a while, the kid broke our (almost) complete silence and asked "Jacob, where are we going?"
I turned around to see her, pushing the cart with my back as I walked backwards. Instead of giving her an answer, I just kept walking.
"Jacob! Why won't you answer me?!" she asked as she saw me moving. Without giving her an answer or even saying a word to her, I kept pushing the cart with my back, listening carefully to my surroundings.
It was hard to hear anything with the kid annoying me with her voice, but after focusing for a bit, I found the sound that I wanted to hear.
-Come on! We're here!-I giggled as I pulled her arm, rushing towards the source of the sound. With a hand pulling her and one hand pushing the cart, I kept running, looking for that sound.
-Can you just tell me where we're going?-she asked while panting.
-Aren't you hungry?!
I laughed as I talked to her, pulling her with a smile. She looked at the back of my cape as we ran, wondering why everything I said was not making any sense to her.
We kept running for a few seconds until we arrived at the shore of a river, which was exactly the source of the sound that I was looking for. I sighed content as I saw the flow of the water in front of me, getting a weird stare from the kid. She looked at me and then redirected her eyes towards the river, starting a question as she looked at the water.
-Sooo… Why are we here?-she asked between pants.
-Well, we gotta eat somehow.
-But didn't you steal food from my house?
I flicked her forehead with my finger as soon as I heard her accusation.
-Nuh uh. I didn't steal…
-You did though…-she said as she rubbed her forehead.
-You gave them to me, don't accuse me of stealing now.
-Well… I guess you're right… -she said embarrassed.
My finger delivered another quick attack on her forehead when she finished talking. She started to complain as soon as my hit landed, but I did not pay attention to her.
I took the sticks that I chose before (which I had put in the shopping cart before running with the kid) and then took some tape. The kid stopped with her complaints as she saw me, wondering what the hell I was up to now.
I took the kitchen knife and my hunting knife and attached them to the end of each stick, wrapping some tape around them to secure them. Then, while holding the improvised spears with both of my hands, I presented them to the kid, talking to her again.
-Ok, kid! Choose one!
-What for?
-Consider this the real beginning of the first lesson.
-Didn't that lesson start before?
-Nope,-I smirked while flicking her forehead once again-the real lesson begins now…