Allergen

As the plate of pancakes was set before Rio, my heart swelled with anticipation, eager to see the joy on my son's face as he savored his favorite breakfast. But as Rio took his first bite, a look of discomfort flickered across his features, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What is this?" Rio asked, his voice tinged with concern. "I... I think there are almonds in these pancakes."

My heart plummeted at the realization of my mistake. How could I have been so careless, so thoughtless as to overlook Rio's allergy? As panic threatened to consume me, I felt a surge of anger bubbling up inside, directed not at Rio, but at myself – at my own incompetence and negligence.

Rising swiftly to my feet, I turned to the servants with a look of fury in my eyes. "You imbeciles!" I bellowed, my voice echoing through the hall. "How dare you serve my son food that could harm him? Are you trying to kill him?"

The servants cowered before me, their faces pale with fear as they struggled to stammer out an apology. But their words fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the roar of my own rage. In that moment, all that mattered was ensuring that Rio was safe – that he suffered no harm as a result of my own foolishness.

Turning back to Rio, I took a deep breath, my voice trembling with emotion. "I am so sorry, my son," I said, my words laced with remorse. "This is entirely my fault. I should have been more vigilant, more careful. Please forgive me."

But Rio's response was not what I expected. Instead of anger or resentment, his expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding and compassion. "It's okay, Father," he said, his voice gentle. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. We all make mistakes."

His words cut through the haze of my anger, piercing straight to my heart. In that moment, I realized that despite my failings as a father, Rio still loved and respected me – a realization that filled me with a profound sense of gratitude and humility.

And so, as I watched the servants being subjected to a humiliating punishment for their incompetence, I couldn't help but feel a sense of shame wash over me. For in my blind rage, I had forgotten the most important lesson of all – that true strength lies not in power or dominance, but in humility and compassion.