Candy, Consequences, and a Very Public Lesson
Not crowded, but busy enough that there was a constant hum of voices, footsteps, and distant music echoing through the halls. Oswald walked through it all with his usual composed posture, one hand holding a small shopping bagā¦ and the other firmly holding onto his sonās hand.
The kidāOliverāwas looking everywhere.
Everything caught his attention.
āPapa, look!ā
āPapa, whatās that?ā
āPapaā!ā
āYes, Oliver,ā Oswald replied calmly each time, though there was a faint tiredness in his voice. They had already gone through three stores, and he still had more to do.
He just wanted to finish and go home.
Oswald felt the sudden halt and looked down slightly.
āā¦Why did you stop?ā
But Oliver wasnāt looking at him.
Oswald followed his gaze.
Bright colors. Glass jars filled with sweets. Chocolates, gummies, lollipopsāeverything a child could possibly want.
Oswald already knew where this was going.
Oliver turned to him immediately. āBut I didnāt even ask yet!ā
Oliver grabbed his hand tighter, tugging slightly.
āPapa, can I get some candy?ā
Oswald didnāt even break his stride.
āAnd I want to sleep, but I have things to do. So neither of us is getting what we want.ā
Oliver stopped walking again.
This time, he let go of Oswaldās hand.
Oliverās little face scrunched up in frustration.
Oswaldās expression didnāt change.
āLower your voice.ā
Oliver stomped his foot.
āI WANT CANDY!ā
Oswaldās ear twitched slightly.
āI said lower yourāā
But Oliver was already in motion.
He dropped to the floor dramatically.
āI WANT CANDY! I WANT CANDY! I WANT CANDY!ā
Kicking feet. Flailing arms. Loud cries echoing through the mall.
People slowed down to look.
Oswald looked down at his son.
His face was completely neutral.
Without a word, he turned, walked a few steps to the side, grabbed a chair from a nearby cafƩ, and sat down.
In the middle of the chaos.
He crossed one leg over the other, pulled out his phone, and started scrolling.
Oliver continued screaming.
A couple passing by stopped.
āOh, poor thing,ā one of them said, approaching Oliver. āMaybe he just needsāā
āHeās fine,ā Oswald said calmly without looking up. āHeāll stop.ā
A few more minutes passed.
His cries started to crack.
āIā¦ wantā¦ candyā¦ā
Oswald finished scrolling through whatever he was reading, then locked his phone and looked up.
Oliver was sitting on the floor now, sniffling, face red, avoiding eye contact with everyone around him.
Oswald tilted his head slightly.
Oliver nodded weakly. āā¦Yesā¦ā
Oswald stood up slowly, walking back over.
āWhat did you learn?ā
Oliverās voice was small. Defeated.
āā¦That throwing a tantrum doesnāt get me anythingā¦ andā¦ it just makes people stare at meā¦ā
Oswald nodded once.
āWhat else?ā
Oliver sniffed, still looking at the floor.
āā¦That when Papa says noā¦ it means noā¦ andā¦ throwing a tantrum isnāt the right way to ask for thingsā¦ā
Oswald extended his hand.
āCome on. We still have things to do.ā
Oliver didnāt move at first.
He stayed there, staring at the floor, his little hands clutching his shirt.
Oliverās voice trembled slightly.
āā¦Can youā¦ carry meā¦? I donāt think I can handle the embarrassmentā¦ā
Oswald looked at him for a moment.
He bent down and picked Oliver up with ease.
Oliver immediately buried his face into Oswaldās shoulder, hiding from the world.
Oswald pressed a small kiss to the top of his head.
And just like that, they kept walking.
The candy store long forgotten.
