Defeated

A loud knock and then the sound of voices interrupted their conversation, and both Maria and Tony got up to greet her sister and Rosa, who had come in together.

Tia held out her arms to Tony, who ran over and hugged her around her plump waist. She considered him part of her personal family, and had felt that way for years, despite the fact that Tony and his family had no actual blood ties to her sister, Maria.

Rosa called out cheerfully, "Oh, save some hugs for me! I haven't kept you in a while, and I have missed you, my little cutie pie."

Before Tia could turn him loose Maria began giving instructions to the sitter. Tony kept one arm around his tia, and listened warily to the orders. He wanted to make sure his day wasn't going to be a total loss.

Rosa nodded and followed Maria to the kitchen, where the older woman showed her the list of contact phone numbers and some money in case they went into the village.

Hurrying back into the living room, Abuela motioned Tony over to her, kissed him good bye, and reminded, "Remember that you are going to be a good boy for Rosa. I want to hear nothing but wonderful things when I return."

"What time will you get back, Abuela?" Tony questioned, reluctant to actually let her leave.

"By supper, Nieto, now let me go so that I can get back to you."

Tony was kissed again by both Tia and Abuela, and then they were gone. He frowned up at Rosa.

"What are you going to do, Rosa?"

Rosa grinned, definitely aware that he was not too happy about his day. "Obviously you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, muchacho."

That didn't please the child, and he turned and headed towards the living room. Rosa called after him, "Tony, where are you going?"

He stopped and spoke with annoyance, "The living room- I am going to watch television."

Rosa held out a hand, "No, I don't think so. You know your abuela doesn't allow you to watch television during the day."

Tony slammed himself against the wall and his voice rose, "She's not here, and you are, and I want to watch!"

"No," the babysitter was firm. "Your abuela said no tv and you may not cut on that set." Then softening, she added, "You and I can go out for lunch today, and I know we can find something fun to do outdoors instead. How does that sound?"

Tony threw himself onto the sofa, crossed his arms, and puffed out his lip. Rosa regarded him and shook her head. Tony definitely was in a bad mood.

"Never mind," she amended, "since you want to stay on the sofa and sulk. We'll just hang around the house instead of going anywhere today."

Tony jumped up immediately, annoyed at her response. "I was just waiting for you. You promised that we could go out to lunch!"

Rosa smiled, and decided to ignore his tone of voice. "Ok, go get ready, and we'll head on out for a bit."

Two hours later they were sitting on a bench at the informal park located on the very outskirts of the village. They had already finished the lunch they had bought from one of the street vendors, and had come to bask in the beauty of the summer afternoon.

Within minutes of their arrival, several boys ran up, having recognized Tony, and invited him to play. Rosa reluctantly agreed to let him go for a while, but made him repeat to her the boundaries of his play area. The boys took off excitedly, their voices filling the air.

Rosa settled back and pulled out the magazine she had bought at the newsstand, checking the time and Tony's whereabouts before she opened it.

An hour later she closed the periodical and stood up to stretch. Tony and his friends were suddenly nowhere to be seen, and she shook her head in annoyance. They had been in sight every single time she had checked, so they couldn't have wandered off too far. She began walking the perimeter of the park and calling, first calmly, but as time passed, more frantically. A half hour later she was frantic, and had started out of the park to alert the police when she saw Tony and his group headed back in her direction.

He was unrepentant and unconcerned as she scolded and fussed, turning him towards home as she lectured him on his irresponsible conduct. If anything, he acted as though he could follow his own rules. Rosa was angry, and rewarded him with a time out in his room when they got back to the house.

He was still there when Maria returned, laden with shopping bags. Once she had spoken to Rosa, paid her, and bidden her good bye, Maria called Tony to come to her. He came, looking guilty, and after kissing him hello, she picked him up and set him on the counter.

"Nieto, I am not sure what is in your head, but you have made some very bad choices in your behaviour today."

Tony scowled, "No one let me go with them anywhere, not you, or Daddy, or..."

She didn't let him finish, "That does not matter- eso no es importante. Now, I believe that Rosa told you to stay where she could see you at the park."

"She already punished me for that, Abuela, me fue castigado! I have been in my room until right now."

Maria put a finger to his lips. "Hush, Antonio, and listen. You were sent to time out for not following instructions given you by Rosa. Your father and I expect you to obey those who are taking care of you in our absence, is that not true?"

"Yes, but Abuela," Tony could tell that her reaction was not forgiving.

"No, the answer to that is yes. Now, because you did not obey Rosa as I told you to do, I am taking away your television watching for tonight."

"Abuela! I am sorry, and I will do what she says forever from now on, but I want to see tv tonight! I haven't watched it since last night."

Maria shook her head and picked him up off the counter, then set him down on the floor. "That is my decision, and I do not want to hear another word. What I want you to do is to set the table now, because you and I are going to have supper in just a minute."

Though upset, Tony knew not to keep fussing. He did as she had told him, but pouted all the way through the meal. He helped with the clean up, hoping she would change her mind about the television, but she considered his assistance part of his normal chores. Once the kitchen was finished she told him to go ahead and take his bath, then called him back and reminded him to wash his hair.

That brought about immediate protests, and she repeated the instructions sternly, clearly losing patience. He finally gave up arguing and left, and a couple of minutes later she was reassured when she heard the bath water gushing.

Jethro and Jackson came in then, laughing and triumphant from their outing. They had enjoyed a fishing bonanza, and had an ice chest full of fish they had caught. They had, furthermore, already cleaned them, and Maria bragged on the haul.

While Maria dealt with the refrigeration, both went back to say hello to Tony, still bathing, then settled in the living room with cups of coffee.

Maria joined them there, but before she sat down, she called out, "Bambino, remember that I said your hair needs washing."

Tony replied loudly and angrily, and Maria immediately turned towards the hall and headed his way.

Jackson winked at Jethro, "Someone's in trouble."

Maria did not say a word until after she had pulled Tony up out of his bathwater and delivered two stinging smacks to his sopping wet rear end. "Start shampooing your hair right now, Antonio, and if I hear that tone of voice again, you are going to get your bottom torn up!"

Wisely, Tony didn't answer verbally, but managed to grab the shampoo bottle and start shampooing as his eyes filled with tears and he rubbed his hurting bottom. Satisfied that his compliance was permanent, Maria left and returned to the living room, where she updated the two men on Tony's day.

"The good news is that his attitude is so bad today that tomorrow we'll be grateful if he just smiles," Jackson joked, and the other two laughed.

The conversation turned to plans for the rest of the week.

Half an hour later Tony appeared, his hair sopping wet and clad only in his underwear. Ignoring his father and grandfather, he immediately made his way to Maria, sitting in the rocker, and propped against her legs.

She bent down and kissed the top of his head, commenting on how good his freshly washed hair smelled. "Where are your pajamas, Antonio? Shouldn't they be on you?"

"I straightened up the bathroom, Abuela," he answered, ignoring the pajamas question.

"Very good, and I did not even have to tell you tonight-" she smiled.

Tony leaned against her knees and tugged down the back of his underwear. "Look," he said accusingly, "you left spank marks on me."

He puffed out his lip in an attempt to garner sympathy. However, Maria patted his bottom in dismissal and righted his clothing instead. "I do not see spank marks on my boy, but if I did, I would not be upset. You know the right way to speak and you know the wrong way to speak."

Nevertheless, casting a critical eye over him, she turned him sideways to examine a bruise on his leg, then turned her attention to a mosquito bite on his left arm and the skinned place on his knee. Satisfied that her baby was in relatively good shape despite the injuries, she pulled him up onto her lap, wrapping her arms around his little body.

Tony snuggled against her at once and as she rocked, he reached up and rubbed her hair softly, a habit he had adopted in babyhood. Within a few minutes his hand dropped and she felt him shift, so she knew he had fallen asleep.

She nodded to Jethro, who got up then and made his way to his son's room, where he turned down the bed. Returning to the living room, he gathered his little boy from Maria's lap and gently carried him to bed, covering him softly and kissing him good night.

Tony slept through all of the movement, and when Jethro made it back to the adults, all three raised eyebrows at each other.

Jack held up his coffee cup and spoke for all three. "What a difference one little seven year old can make to a day. Here's a toast to our Tony waking up on the right side of the bed tomorrow!"