Did your mother tell the authorities?" she asked. "No." He laughed again. "She told my brothers. She said, 'If he comes home with one bruise, I will beat you and then your father will beat you.'" "Well, that's pretty horrible," Brie said. "Old World. Tradition." He grinned. "Don't worry, Brie. There were a lot more threats than there were beatings. I don't remember beatings. My father whipped us across the bottom with his belt, but never injured anyone. For my mother, it was the wooden spoon. Not your pansy gringo wooden spoon, but a spoon as long as her arm. Christ, if the belt was unbuckled or the spoon plucked off the shelf, we ran like holy hell. The next generation of Valenzuelas has given up that form of child raising. By the way, it's not Mexican by genesis-it's that generation. It was not against the law to beat your child if he misbehaved." She
( Robyn Carr )
[ Whispering Rock ]
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