Brothers (Chapter Eight)

Chapter Eight

The presence of The Lord imposed itself from the beginning. He didn’t need to shout or verbalize his authority; he simply imposed it. As soon as the father and his son Bautista left the hacienda, everyone knew that this new authority was the one in command.

And he did it in a precise way; he allowed no questioning, and his power was real and effective. What he said was done. His authority was brutal, total, and arbitrary. Braulio knew it immediately.

The Lord headed toward where he was, a stable, and upon observing him, with authority and contempt, said to him:

To me you are an animal, and as such I will treat you. I don’t care at all what you feel or believe. From today on you will feel my authority. Don’t you dare question me, and don’t even look me in the face: keep your eyes fixed on the ground, like the dog you are. From now on I want you completely naked.

Braulio trembled; he felt fear, as he had for much of his life. He had no resentment, only panic. He obeyed without question, remaining naked, with his hands behind his back and looking at the ground.

Good, good. You’re afraid of me. That’s good; I assure you that you are afraid of feeling fear. Come closer and bring that chain hanging there.

The Lord took the chain of heavy links from Braulio’s hands, put it around the dog’s neck, and closed it with a padlock he took from a bag he carried across his torso. He took the key and put it away.

These chains will bother you, hurt you, and wound you, and you will feel bad wearing them, and that is what I want. I don’t care at all what you feel; I only want you to know that every day will be worse. I have been given the task of training you like a dog, an obedient and serviceable dog, and that is what I will do. I warn you that I will have no mercy on you, none at all. Your father has already told me that you are ungrateful and have a twisted and treacherous attitude. I will take away all desire to rebel from you and root out those resentful thoughts that consume you. Understand it once and for all: you are worth nothing, you are trash, and you have no rights over anything. You should be grateful that your father gave you education, a home, and work.

Braulio said nothing; he only listened, invaded by a deep fear that paralyzed him. He felt profoundly small, unworthy, and miserable. A sincere regret began to take hold of him, and a deep hatred toward his brother Blas, whom for some time he had begun to identify as the culprit of the disaster his life had become. Cursed was the hour he listened to his ideas of revenge, betrayal, and seizing supposed rights that had been taken from them. Cursed Blas, cursed.

The Lord ordered him to go to where Blas, his brother, was, still in the cellar, locked up and hungry. With all the commotion that morning, Braulio had left him locked in there without feeding him. Seeing him, the younger brot...