When a father fails

Feeling the presence of a person sitting next to him, Amir was startled to see his father sitting beside him. He didn't even hear him walk in. He felt embarrassed at this. He was like a child caught stilling by his parents.

Adelio looked at his embarrassed son and chuckled.

"Amir, no matter how deep in thought you are, you should always remain vigilant. Even if it's your own house." Adelio patiently explained to his son. "If it was an assassin you would be dead by now."

Amir looked down in embarrassment and listened to his father's warnings. Right now he was just thinking about her beautiful smile. Even he didn't understand why her smile affected him like that.

Just thinking about how beautiful she was. How her smile made his dream come alive because at that moment when he saw her smile it felt like a dream. Nothing felt real.

Adelio looked at his son and shook his head. Was he still holding a grudge against him for what happened earlier, this is not like his son?

Though his son looked warm and inviting, to be honest, that smile of his was a trap set for people who didn't know him well. His eyes gave off a lazy feel hiding away his true nature.

And thanks to Adelio's training, Amir had a noble aura that commanded authority. Even his father couldn't match up to him. Maybe it's was an inborn thing. Even at that Amir always listened to his father's teachings.

It's a good thing he chose to settle in this small village. Even at that, he limited his son's movements.

"Amir, if you are upset about what happened earlier then we are going to have a big problem in the future.," Adelio said to his son calmly. "I know you are an adult now and can make your own decisions but bear in mind that you will have to fight your own battles. There are people stronger than you and can take you down with one single blow. Who will protect your people if you can't even defend yourself?"

Hearing this, Amir's face darkened. Yes, he couldn't let anything happen to her. He has to work hard so that he can be the one protecting her and not the other way round. Wait, what? Did he just think of that? Why would he think that way?

Looking at his son's changing expressions amused Adelio very much. From a determined look to a stupefied expression. What was this boy thinking about?

"Yes father, I understand." After composing himself, Amir responded to his words.

"Amir, do you know when a father fails his duty?" Adelio asked his son after seeing him come back from his thoughts.

Amir just looked at his father, he knew when to give his answer, and now was not the right time because he knew his father well.

Looking at his son, Adelio was delighted knowing that his son understood him just as much as he did.

"A man fails as a father when his son is not morally upright. As we grow up, we develop bad habits but if we depart from our morals then we are lost as a human. You should be able to differentiate between right and wrong and always stand up for the weak. But remember to always hear the full story before you react. A man in power should not use his power to bully the weak. Remember, every society has its norms and you should abide by them. And when you do something wrong what do you do?"

"Face the consequences like a man and not to find a scapegoat," Amir answered firmly. At this time he knew that his father was looking for an answer.

"good," Adelio was pleased with his son's response.

" Now the reason I came here is to let you know that the village head wants you as a son-in-law." Adelio smiled bitterly when he said this.

"Just tell him what you tell the others," Amir responded calmly. It's not like it's the first time he's heard this. But he was a little bit nervous what if his father agreed, he can't go against it. In the past, it would have been ok but right now he had a different thought. Another woman would only come in between his playtime with Liat. And he didn't want that.

"I did, but he didn't buy it. He sounded really upset when I told him about it. He accused me of making up an excuse just to reject him. He was really upset when he left."

"hahahahahahaha," Amir laughed hearing his father's anguish voice. " you should have found a better lie then, father." Amir said as he counted to laugh at his father.

Adelio shook his head and said to his son, "who said it was a lie?"