First Day At The Forge

Fidelia was practically vibrating with excitement. Today was the day she got to join her papá and Isandro in the forge! She had woken up early from her excitement and was quick to get ready for the day. Unlike her twin… Her tail rapidly flicked in impatience as Goito took his time getting out of bed and was still not even dressed yet. 

Mamá had told them she would not give them their aprons and gloves until they both were ready. She didn’t understand why! Why did she have to be punished for Goito’s own laziness? If he had his way, he would’ve slept in until their mamá took the blankets from him. She was half tempted to hit him upside the head and tell him to hurry up. Instead, she crossed her arms and let her tail continue to flick around, smacking the doorway.

“Finally,” Fidelia mumbled as Goito appeared out of the bathroom. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she grabbed his arm and started to lead him to the dining room. 

“Hey!” Goito yelled, trying to wiggle his arm out of her grasp. She simply tightened her hold on him. 

“You’re too slow,” She hissed at him. “Lazy.”

“Well, I’m soorrry!” He dramatically hissed back, his ears pinned back but he had at least stopped resisting. “Some of us like our sleep.”

“And some of us -!”

“Children.”

Their mamá’s voice cut Fidelia off and her own ears pinned back in embarrassment. Quickly, she released her brother’s arm and shyly tucked her own behind her back. Goito grumbled a bit as he rubbed his arm. Their mamá only looked amused at their bickering before giving a roll of her eyes. She beckoned for them to come closer to the table where their breakfast was neatly laid out for them.

“Eat, eat,” She purred. Goito was quick to scramble up on his chair to start digging in. Fidelia hesitated, looking to her mamá then back at the table. “Eat, my baby. You cannot work on an empty belly. Your papá already had his.”

Fidelia sighed before nodding. She felt too excited to eat though but she made herself sit at the table. Once the smell of the huevos motuleños hit her nose, she could feel her own hunger set in. Giving a quick side-eye to her brother, who was messily eating his, she dug in. She tries to be slow and polite but her own excitement and hunger got the best of her. Her mamá only smiled and sipped her café. 

Once they were done eating, they were quick to pile their dishes with the rest of the dirty ones. They soon scampered back to the wall, Fidelia’s tail back to its excited twitching. She was gonna get her apron now!

Mamá was holding them and their gloves in her hands but she stared at them expectantly. Both were quick to stand up taller but Fidelia couldn’t get her tail to stop twitching. She shot a glare back at Goito when she caught him glaring at her before their gaze shot back to their mamá when she cleared her throat.

“Now, my little ones. When you are in the forge, you must listen to your papá and abuelos. You will not goof off, you will act polite and respectful. You will handle everything with care. The moment you disobey, you will wait another year to join them. This is not easy work and we want you to be safe. Understand?”

“We understand.”

“Good,” Mamá smiled and handed them both their respective aprons and gloves. She helped them tie the ends of their apron before shooing them off to the forge. “Be safe, my loves!”

“We will!’

The forge smelled of smoke, iron, and steel. Their papá was carefully tending to the flames, his face scrunched up in concentration. A twitch of his ear was the only sign he knew they were there as he continued to focus on the flames. Once they were where he wanted them at, he relaxed but did not yet turn around to see them.

“We must tend to the fires carefully. Metal is fragile, my dears. Once the metal is twisted, we cannot untwist it,” He softly spoke, before flicking his tail towards the water pail. “And we always are aware of the dangers the fire shows.”

“Yes, papá.”

Their papá finally stepped away from the firepit and turned towards them with a gentle smile. 

“Your mamá already gave you her lecture?”

They quickly nodded in unison and he nodded in thought.

“You will listen to her well. Now, come my little ones. I will show you how to tend to the fire yourselves. We will start off small to get you set up. Isandro will join us soon and Fi, do not be jealous of him. He has been doing this more than you have, my little one.”

Fidelia blushed and she wanted to elbow her brother when he snickered. Instead, she only nodded. Satisfied, her papá beckoned for them to come closer to start their first lesson.