| General Fiction posted October 1, 2024 |
  |
Drawing the wrong conclusion
Parenting 101
by Begin Again
Peggy Carlson looked at her watch. She'd already missed an hour of work, sitting in the principal's office —waiting.
"When I get you home, Tommy, you will be in big trouble."
"Why? I didn't do anything wrong?"
"Then explain why I've been summoned to your school?"
"I don't know, Mommy," Tommy whined. "Honest, I didn't do anything wrong."
"What happened in school today? Did you miss a class?"
"No, we had visitors. It was fun. The teachers pretended to have a fight. Then, they asked us all a lot of questions?"
"What kind of questions? Who were these people?"
Before Tommy could answer, Principal Howard, Miss Lexington (Tommy's teacher), and several official-looking people entered the room. The school security guard stood by the door.
Wasting no time, Principal Howard took the lead. "Mrs. Carlson, is everything okay at home?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a problem with Tommy or his dad?"
"No!" Irritated at losing time at work, Patti wanted an explanation. "What's this about?"
"Tommy's been sad, and Miss Lexington was trying to find out why."
Patti thought for a moment and then offered, "My husband's father passed away a few weeks ago. Tommy wasn't close with him, but I suppose that could make him sad." She turned to her son. "Tommy, is that why Miss Lexington says you're sad?"
He shook his head. "It's when Daddy gets mad at you."
Embarrassed, his mother tried to smooth things over. "I told you that sometimes Mommy and Daddy don't always agree, but we still love each other."
Tommy looked at the two men with badges on their belts. "They asked if anyone was abu—"
Miss Lexington smiled at Tommy. "Are you trying to say abusive, Tommy?"
The little boy nodded. "Yeah, that's the word."
Miss Lexington moved closer and sat beside Tommy, putting her arm around the young boy. "It's okay, Tommy. Tell us what you said."
His eyes darted to his mother and then to his shoes.
Patti tried to smile. "It's okay, Tommy. What did you tell them?"
"You'll get mad."
"No, I won't. I promise. What did you tell them?"
"I — I told them — daddy gets mad and says you are abus — you know the word Miss Lexington said."
Patti gasped. "Tommy, why would you tell these people that?"
The official-looking man and Principal Howard stepped closer at the same time. Principal Howard spoke, "Calm down, Mrs. Carlson."
Her irritation showed as she spoke louder than she intended. "I don't need you to tell me to calm down. I asked my son a question, and I'd like an answer."
He bit his lip, scuffing his shoe against the floor.
Miss Lexington spoke softly to the little boy. "It's okay, Tommy. We're here for you. No one is going to hurt you."
"Of course, no one is going to hurt my son. I wouldn't let them. I don't understand what you think he's telling you." Patti knelt in front of her Tommy, taking his hands in hers. "Tommy, tell Mommy why Daddy said I was abusive?"
Tommy looking around the room and then at his mom. "You'll get mad."
"No, I promise, Tommy. Just tell me why you think Mommy is abusive."
"Cuz daddy says you are abusing —" He looked at his Mommy. "When you pour his bottle down the drain. He says you're abusing the alcohol."
Miss Lexington gasped. "I'm afraid I misunderstood."
Patti stood and looked at everyone in the room. "Since my husband lost his father, he's tried to deal with his grief through drinking. I don't allow him to do it in our home."
Tommy's sad eyes stared at his Mommy. "Are you mad at me?"
She held out her hand to him. "Of course not." As she prepared to leave the room, she stopped. "Maybe the next time you have questions, you could save all of us time and money with a phone call."
Patti pulled the door closed behind her, leaving their apologies unheard.
Tommy skipped down the hall, holding his Mommy's hand. "Am I in trouble?"
Patti laughed. "No, but I think some grown-ups are."
Peggy Carlson looked at her watch. She'd already missed an hour of work, sitting in the principal's office —waiting.
"When I get you home, Tommy, you will be in big trouble."
"Why? I didn't do anything wrong?"
"Then explain why I've been summoned to your school?"
"I don't know, Mommy," Tommy whined. "Honest, I didn't do anything wrong."
"What happened in school today? Did you miss a class?"
"No, we had visitors. It was fun. The teachers pretended to have a fight. Then, they asked us all a lot of questions?"
"What kind of questions? Who were these people?"
Before Tommy could answer, Principal Howard, Miss Lexington (Tommy's teacher), and several official-looking people entered the room. The school security guard stood by the door.
Wasting no time, Principal Howard took the lead. "Mrs. Carlson, is everything okay at home?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a problem with Tommy or his dad?"
"No!" Irritated at losing time at work, Patti wanted an explanation. "What's this about?"
"Tommy's been sad, and Miss Lexington was trying to find out why."
Patti thought for a moment and then offered, "My husband's father passed away a few weeks ago. Tommy wasn't close with him, but I suppose that could make him sad." She turned to her son. "Tommy, is that why Miss Lexington says you're sad?"
He shook his head. "It's when Daddy gets mad at you."
Embarrassed, his mother tried to smooth things over. "I told you that sometimes Mommy and Daddy don't always agree, but we still love each other."
Tommy looked at the two men with badges on their belts. "They asked if anyone was abu—"
Miss Lexington smiled at Tommy. "Are you trying to say abusive, Tommy?"
The little boy nodded. "Yeah, that's the word."
Miss Lexington moved closer and sat beside Tommy, putting her arm around the young boy. "It's okay, Tommy. Tell us what you said."
His eyes darted to his mother and then to his shoes.
Patti tried to smile. "It's okay, Tommy. What did you tell them?"
"You'll get mad."
"No, I won't. I promise. What did you tell them?"
"I — I told them — daddy gets mad and says you are abus — you know the word Miss Lexington said."
Patti gasped. "Tommy, why would you tell these people that?"
The official-looking man and Principal Howard stepped closer at the same time. Principal Howard spoke, "Calm down, Mrs. Carlson."
Her irritation showed as she spoke louder than she intended. "I don't need you to tell me to calm down. I asked my son a question, and I'd like an answer."
He bit his lip, scuffing his shoe against the floor.
Miss Lexington spoke softly to the little boy. "It's okay, Tommy. We're here for you. No one is going to hurt you."
"Of course, no one is going to hurt my son. I wouldn't let them. I don't understand what you think he's telling you." Patti knelt in front of her Tommy, taking his hands in hers. "Tommy, tell Mommy why Daddy said I was abusive?"
Tommy looking around the room and then at his mom. "You'll get mad."
"No, I promise, Tommy. Just tell me why you think Mommy is abusive."
"Cuz daddy says you are abusing —" He looked at his Mommy. "When you pour his bottle down the drain. He says you're abusing the alcohol."
Miss Lexington gasped. "I'm afraid I misunderstood."
Patti stood and looked at everyone in the room. "Since my husband lost his father, he's tried to deal with his grief through drinking. I don't allow him to do it in our home."
Tommy's sad eyes stared at his Mommy. "Are you mad at me?"
She held out her hand to him. "Of course not." As she prepared to leave the room, she stopped. "Maybe the next time you have questions, you could save all of us time and money with a phone call."
Patti pulled the door closed behind her, leaving their apologies unheard.
Tommy skipped down the hall, holding his Mommy's hand. "Am I in trouble?"
Patti laughed. "No, but I think some grown-ups are."
 Recognized |
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. Begin Again All rights reserved.
Begin Again has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.