"How did you manage to get yourself into this predicament?" Kristoph sighed as he brought the first aid kit to Klavier.

Kristoph had gone to pick Klavier up from school, only to be greeted by Klavier's teacher who informed him that Klavier - who had a black eye and bruises on his arms - had gotten in a fight with some other kids in his class.

"I hate my school. The kids make fun of me."

"What do they say?"

"W-Well they say really mean stuff about our parents, they kept laughing and saying that Dad was really stupid and that it was his own fault that he died." Kristoph noticed tears welling in Klavier's eyes.

"Did you hit him first?"

"I didn't mean to." He started crying. "I just wanted to be left alone."

Kristoph cleaned one of the cuts on Klavier's arm and covered it up with a plaster, then moved his attention to the bruises.

"Look, Klavier, you need to learn to control your emotions, you're only eight years old, if you get into a fight every time a kid makes fun of you, you'll end up getting expelled but there's nowhere else we can send you. Not while mother is already as stressed as she is."

Klavier's next words were inaudible as he continued to cry.

"Calm yourself down!" Kristoph realised he may have sounded snappy but he needed to. That was the only way to get Klavier to listen. "Seriously Klavier, you'll make yourself sick." Kristoph hugged his brother. "I know it's going to be hard, but you can't get away from kids like that, everyone encounters bullies, sometimes you just have to deal with it. As hard as that sounds. I know you can be brave."

Kristoph remembered that day, two years ago, their father's funeral.


"Kristoph I didn't cry. I was brave! Just like you said. Just... just like Dad always said." His voice cracked on the last few words.

"I know. He would be proud of you." Kristoph smiled.


"Kristoph, is it true that people die of loneliness?"

"Who told you that?"

"A kid in my class. He said mother will die soon."

"He's lying, Klavier. Besides, she's not lonely. She still has us." Kristoph dabbed the cold cloth against Klavier's black eye.

"Kristoph can I be home schooled? I don't like my school."

Kristoph smiled. "I'm afraid not. Mother works everyday and I'm still in school as well."

"Oh."

"I can speak to your teacher if you want. Then they can stop those kids from being mean, okay?"

Klavier nodded. "I will be okay!" He said, mimicking what Kristoph kept saying to him on the day of their father's death.

"Yes. Yes you will."