Tuesday, October 11, 2005

What's Real

What's Real


Pat reached down to fasten his book bag...he sighed...he looked for his friend Beau. He reached around to hug him and they walked across the field together. Then, at the edge of the field he murmured something to him and they split apart...He threw the football to him. His friend caught the football and tossed it to another friend ,who tossed it back to Pat. It was just magic how the three of them cold play together, Pat thought...Beau said"dude..your mom is here..."


and Pat sauntered off to the car..content.


In the car, his fingers sought out his favorite radio station; thinking quietly what to say to his mother...His mood was subdued...


As they reached home and walked inside, Pat said"Mom? Mrs.B gave me a couple of detentions today...."


"Acouple?...of detentions?"....his mom said..


"For what? What did you do?" she asked.


"Well she got mad because some of us were playing checkers in our flex period..we were caught up with our homework..."


"So why would she do that?"


He shrugged.


"I don't know mom..."


"some girls did the same thing and she didn't give them one."


"Really?"


he nodded ."Really."


"What was the second detention for?"


she asked.


"For throwing rokcs into an empty pipe by the lab.


I didn't know I couldn't do that."


"oh..Are you in serious trouble?"
"No."


His mother walked away from him; trying to add up the facts he had given her in her mind.


They would not compute.She decided to go see Mrs.B.


After a call, Mrs.B. appeared. "Mrs.Jacobs!" she called.


"hi Mrs.B."


"What's up?"


"Im lookin throuhg the school policy book.. I don't understand what happened on the detentions."


"What don't you understand?"


"What happened?"


"I warned PAt and several others who were making noise in the common room not to do that and to go to the library for studyhall.


They would not listen. I finally gave them all detentions."


"Oh...", she said, stunned....


"And was Pat warned not to throw the stones in the pipe too?"


"Yes."


"Then why did he lie ?...he lied to me!..."


tears stormed donw her face...


"Let's go in my office,"she said.


"Mrs.Jacobs? teens at this age lie. They try to get away with things."


Mrs.Jacobs went as if someone had socked her in the stomach. The raw pain and the humiliattion spilled over her face and into her stomach...


"Let's call him in..He shouldn't be lying to you.."


she called Pat.


"Pat? Look at your mom..you lied ot her and she is loosing some trust factor here. You have to stop doing this."


tears spilled out of her eyes...


"Why Pat?"


 


 


 


 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I think of all the lies that kids can and do tell it scares me. How can we guide and protect them if we don't know the truth.

Anonymous said...

Pat's mom is going to have to tighten up...she is in for a rough ride! We moms of teenagers have gotta be tough!
Marti

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why teens feel they have to lie.  Is it a part of growing up or something?  I know I didn't get away with lying to my mother that's for sure.  She could tell by my eyes if I was lying.  But, most teens do this and it all depends on how you handle it.
Hugs and love,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately that is normal and just part of the growing up experience....kids will always try to get away with as much as they can....but then they have kids and see what it is like then the vicious cycle starts again...

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Not sure which is tougher being a teen or the mom of one
Hugs, Marina

Anonymous said...

A great story that all teens should be forced to read.  If they realized the pain their lies cause they may change their ways sooner.  A lesson we all had to learn, or course.  Nice job, Nat!
Sam

Anonymous said...

Trust... losing it .... powerful character element. In real life, we lose trust or someone loses trust in us, it's hard to earn it back.