Chapter 397 - Discovered - mdfour
Roland
Well, well, well, what do we have here in our lineage but our successors. I came for two wayward kids and it turns out we have quite a variety of little rascals. I have my dynamic duo, my niece Milena, wouldn't surprise me if she was the one who hacked into our security network. They've earned themselves some extreme training; in about five years they'll be ready, giving the younger ones in this group time to grow up.
I waited for the winners to come and collect their money. I wondered how they planned to do it without us noticing, but I wasn't going to wait to find out. Just seeing me would scare them. Once they were all together, I introduced myself.
"Well, look what we have here."
"UNCLE!" more than one of them shouted, while my kids looked at me and then lowered their heads.
"Excellent work, Milena, both last week and now."
"How did you know it was me?"
"Last week you found out there was a category for minors, and what did you say? Piece of cake, we'll bring Augusto and win again." I looked at Dante.
"How did you find out?"
"You can bypass all the security you want. But you can never fool a mother who gets up in the middle of the night to check on her kids." I looked at Isaac and Augusto. "So, what now? We adults take care of this?" I did the same with Sebastián and Ezequiel, who lowered their heads. "But this seems like someone's handiwork." I fixed my gaze on my kids and they puffed out their chests. "I see. If the police had arrived, what would you have done?"
"They didn't."
My defiant son answered, understanding with just a look. I extended my hand to the winners and they handed over the money.
"What did you want the money for?"
"Just for fun," Demetrio answered. I looked at them all in my role as Boss, and each one lowered their gaze.
"I expect an answer."
"We wanted to buy software," my son responded.
"For what, Dante?"
"Something more advanced so we could access my father's system and finally know what you all are up to," Milena replied.
"Everyone to their cars."
"But Uncle..."
"You are minors!" I closed my eyes, pressing the bridge of my nose. "Didn't you think for a second, Dante, that if the police showed up, all your cousins would end up in juvenile detention?" My son looked at me. "Could you handle the guilt? Look at Cristofer and Gregorio, they're just kids."
"We'd take care of them, Dad," Enrique said.
"I will talk very seriously with you two later. Now, everyone back to their homes, and one by one we will drop you off, and you two will apologize to your aunts!"
"But..." I looked at Dante.
"There are adults here, and I bet my last name that you were the ringleader of all this, right? And to complete the surprise, Enrique backed you up." We reached the cars, and they were about to get in. Each one in the car they came in, there were four. Dante was about to drive. "Where do you think you're going?"
"You told us to get in the cars."
"You don't have a license; you need another six months before you can get a driving permit. You two, in my car." Dante was red. "Milena, drive the car Dante brought, and Demetrio and Dayana will go with you. Sebastián, Ezequiel, and Isaac will drive the others. The rest, get in the cars. We'll go to Cristofer's house first, then Ezequiel's."
"My mom's going to scold me, Uncle."
"And be grateful that my punishment will come in five years."
One by one, I dropped them off at their homes. I called Carlina to hand over her son; she couldn't believe it, as she was the only one who knew the code I set at night to secure the entire house. Each parent would reprimand them as they saw fit. I was at ease knowing none of us were abusive; we don't hit them, but we do punish them.
The kids were silent, not saying a word, sitting in the back of the car. The same happened with Ezequiel; he was already an adult but succumbed to Dante's leadership. My son has leadership skills, but he doesn't know how to gauge danger. You always have to assess the risks and not expose your siblings. I have work to do with him.
Little by little, I left them before the infallible sermon of their mothers. After hugging them, Diana grabbed each one by the ears. I didn't laugh because I had the orchestrators of everything in the car, but it was very comical to see her so small next to her two sons who were already more than twenty centimeters taller than her. Even so, they accepted without complaining. It wasn't that she was being harsh; it was the gesture of calling their attention.
Gladis, Shirly, Clarisa, and Guadalupe were left with red cheeks. Our wives can be very kind, and they are, but when they lose their temper or, in this case, are mocked by their children, I can't imagine the scolding they'll give them. The last one to leave was Milena. My sister had already called her and was waiting with her arms on her hips for her daughter.
"Thanks, Roland."
"Uncle, the car..."
"I'll send for it tomorrow. Now, don't let it happen again, and the money is confiscated."
"Seriously, Milena Moreno Sandoval?"
"Damn," said Enrique. "Auntie's mad."
"Your mother is waiting for you at home."
"You woke up my mom?"
"I'll talk to you tomorrow. For now, I won't intervene in whatever scolding or punishment your mother gives you."
They said nothing. We got to the house, and Veronica was waiting in her robe, with her pajama pants underneath, standing on the terrace with her arms crossed.
"My mom looks really mad, Dante."
"Don't complain! I always get punished more."
"Because it's always your fault."
"Now you're chickening out!"
I wanted to laugh, but I held back. It wasn't easy having kids, it really wasn't, and having four teenagers had been an immense feat.
"Dante Sandoval Vásquez!" My son tensed up. There's something about your mother calling you by your full name. "Enrique Sandoval Vázquez!"
"Mom..."
Veronica went into the house, and we followed. I stayed quiet, wanting to laugh, but my Beautiful was angry, and staying quiet was the best choice, lest I get caught in the crossfire.
"Hand over your phones." I looked away to avoid laughing; my intruders are tech-savvy. "And go up to your rooms and bring me your tablets and laptops. Right now!"
None of them argued. My wife was furious. The boys went upstairs and brought everything down in five minutes. In that time, she had gone to the kitchen and returned with a plastic box. She turned off the phones and put them in the box. The boys came down and put their devices in.
"Mom, we need the computer. How are we going to do our homework?" The negotiator spoke up.
"That's what the office computer is for, and you'll have to be proactive and do your homework when your father isn't working. And if you have to stay up late to finish your assignments, you will."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Another thing. Since you need money so badly, starting tomorrow, you'll work on certain tasks around the ranch. Jacinto was going to start painting all the fences on our property, and that job is now yours. Figure out how to get it done."
"Mom..."
"What?! The money wouldn't be enough? Then work and save, and when you all have enough, buy what you want. You'll feel more satisfaction when you get things through hard work rather than the easy way. It's disappointing to see that the example we've set for you has gone down the drain.
"Don't you see that your father gets up at four in the morning, works on the ranch to have the right stallions to sell, then works in the afternoon at his other job, and this is how you repay us?
"Mom..." Dante fell silent.
"You're a leader, Dante! Work to be a good one, not a greedy one. I don't remember teaching you that. I can't believe you didn't see the danger you were putting your cousins in. Do you know what happens to kids in juvenile detention? Be a leader everyone wants to follow!
"Because they know you'll take care of them, they'll trust you because they know you'd give your life for them. Because you'd give your life for them. Do for others what you've done for your brothers. Haven't you two looked at your father? What did Aníbal do in the past, and how did his father make up for it?"