1. Christliche Erziehung


    Datum: 12.01.2019, Kategorien: Macht / Ohnmacht

    ... understood now that both Aunt Kathy and Uncle Montgomery were both very loving, trying to do what they thought best for us. Of all the guardians we had, I can say with complete certainty that they were the only ones to actually care about us. I am equally certain that this loving care sprang from the deep affection they had for each other. Their love for each other daily manifested. And yet, both were driven by dark passions that even now, so much older and worldly than I was then, I do not fully understand.
    
    After Aunt Kathy had released Klaus from her tight embrace, Uncle Monty spoke up. His words were very formal and stiff, and yet there was also considerable emotion in his voice, hoarse and even a bit choked up.
    
    Klaus Baudelaire. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to manhood. Today, in the eyes of our church and our God, you have become a man. You will be treated as such now. I shall not require your sisters to call you Sir, but if I hear them treating you with obvious disrespect, know that they will rue it surely. I am pleased with your progress. You are growing into a fine Christian man. Your help here on our humble farm has been invaluable. Why already we have planted three full fields more than I did alone this time last year.
    
    You are growing stronger of body and spirit. Know that I am glad to have you a member of this house. You have my thanks for your hard work and now that you are a man, I shall be treating you with more respect.
    
    But know also ...
    ... that as a man, more will be expected of you.
    
    All of this baffled me, he was still over a year younger than I was, yet he was going to be treated better than us? Unfair!
    
    That Sunday night while we slept, still the three of us in the one bed, we were awakened by a noise. It was Paul and Zeke. They were throwing pebbles at the window until we woke up.
    
    We heard you was 13 now, Klaus. This here is our sister, Sally. You all want to party? They had five luke-warm beers. At the time we were starved for entertainment (no TV, no radio, no mall). We decided it was worth the risk. So out the window in our nightgowns we crept. The three of them were fully dressed and Sally kind of giggled My rightful name is Salome, but you can call me Sally She had the body of an 18 year old, fully formed and a head taller than I, but she said she was only 15.
    
    The six of us skulked off to the woods and proceeded to try to choke down the cheap beer. Sunny said No thanks, I dont know where its been and since there were only five, no one had to share. Sunny took us to a fairly secluded little spot she used as a hiding place where we could talk freely.
    
    The boys apologized for cutting up our overalls and tying us up with them, and laughed pretty hard when they were told what happened after we lost our bet. They explained that they were known as the Dewberry boys as their family name was Dewberry. Sunny replied with a Duh! to punctuate the obviousness of the connection.
    
    Klaus and Sally were ...