"Watch your blade!", the man admonished in a commanding, yet quite tone. He watched as the younger male quickly adjusted the large blade to the correct position, and once again began to saw into the flesh before him. He'd taught him well.
He'd already managed to make several deep cuts, not brilliantly, but good enough that blood flowed out before the both of them. The younger had splatter up to his wrists, and a smear of fresh blood across his brow, where he'd wiped away concentrated sweat.
"That's it. That's how you do it.", the older man praised, watching with pride. The younger looked up at him, as he raised the red and bleeding flesh he'd just cut from the bone, up to his lips. Now?
"Yes. Now is the time for your reward. Go ahead. Put it in your mouth.", he instructed the younger. He remembered his first taste of warm, fresh meat.
He watched as the younger took the flesh into his mouth, blood dribbling down his chin as he began to chew with delight. He knew that the younger would forever take the lessons he'd shown him and only get better at it.
"See Mom!" the little boy eagerly yelped at the two adults sitting with him at the table.
"I told you I could cut my own meat" he said with delight.
The older man, his father also looked at the woman sitting at the table, a smirk apon his face.
"Looks like you owe me $5, babe!" he laughed at his wife.
"I guess I was wrong, four year olds can cut their own meat!" she said, shaking her head, and reaching for her purse to pay up.
© M.E.Purdy