I can only take so much

Stephenie sat in the head master's office, biting his fingernails hoping it will ease the anxiousness he felt. His mother has been called for the meeting too.

"Oh you stupid boy! What were you thinking? Are you out of your mind?" His mother yelled as soon as she entered the room. She put her bag on the chair and remained standing.

"I'm sorry mom" was all he could get out of his mouth. In his head he was prepared to tell her the 'facts' but as soon as his mother walked in spitting venom, his essay flew out the window.

"You're sorry? You know... I thought you were going to say that someone put that cocaine in your bag and you know nothing about it. Sorry is an admission of guilt. You're a drug smuggler now?" To him the statement wasn't clear whether it was a rhetorical question or simply a remark.

"But mom, you're always demanding money from me. I'm only a scholar, how else was I suppose to bring money to you!" he looked defeated.

"Don't shout at me! Look at you now, you're caught. How am I suppose to feed those kids? Tell me!" In his mind,he knew that she wasn't at all worried about the kids.

"I don't know mom." he responded after a while, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "If you don't know, who's suppose to know then? I gave up my life for you and this is how you repay me? I was kicked out of the house when my parents found out I was pregnant. I went to your useless father, he denied the pregnancy! Bloody moron! I had to live in a shelter. I couldn't continue going to school. All that suffering because of you!"

"Enough mom! I didn't ask for this okay. I'm sorry that you suffered because of me. I just....I'm so sorry." He said.

"Well Stephenie, I don't know how but you're going to have to fix this. You simply cannot go to jail! Don't you drug smugglers have plan B for when you get caught? Think Damnit, don't be useless like your stupid father!"

This hit home. "Mom calm down. I know you're hurting but shouting won't solve anything. You're making me more anxious, I can't even think!"

"So you want me to be quite huh? Then what?" she asked mockingly.

"Just keep it down okay. Mr Gaffney called you here for the meeting. He has been outside for a while now,giving you a chance to relax. Don't crucify me just because you won't be able to get money for your next fix!" He felt a hot sensation on his left cheek. This came as a shock for both of them.

"What? You think I don't know that you're a drug addict? Let me break it to you mother, anybody can guess it just by looking at you. The things you say are not what a normal mother would say to her child, no matter what the child has done." He felt excruciating pain on his abdomen.

"This was for reminding you who you're speaking to. I made you, I can easily break you. You're alive because of me! Instead of being grateful, you think you're now better than me? I would have aborted or thrown you under the bridge but I kept you! I gave you a chance at life so that...."

"So that I can pay for my father's sins?" The veins on his forehead and arms were now popping. "I have been tolerating the insults for as long as I can remember. Now you see an object that you can hit? I refuse! Instead of being concerned about my future, you're concerned about your life which clearly has no future. When will you realise that I'm not my father. It's not my duty to take care of you but vice versa. I hate to break it to you 'mother' but I'm disowning you right at this moment. I'm now officially an opharn. I'll go to jail to pay for my sins." He was now fuming.

"I hate you! You hear that you stupid boy? I hate the sight of you. If it wasn't for you I would still be with my love Gareth. You came between us! I would still be daddy's princess." She was now red.

"You hate me. I hate you. You can't stand my sight. I can't can't stand yours either! Then why are you still here?" Now he was visibly shaking.

"Because you owe me, you filth! Carrying your big head for nine months wasn't child's play."

"You should have thought of that before opening your legs. You're pathetic! I loved you and I wished to improve our lives for better. You never appreciate my efforts. I have been quite because I couldn't afford to hurt your feelings anyhow. You don't care about hurting mine! Now go! Forget you have a son called Stephenie. Go ahead and love your two precious little girls and see if their father will leave his wife for you!" He felt like this was the longest and hardest speech he has ever made. He sighed loudly as if he's been keeping this whole speech somewhere in his heart,now he was free.

"You're kicking me out of your life just as your father did. Just as my father. Am I that bad that nobody wants to keep me around? You know what, fine! If that's what you want then that's what you're getting. I hope you can live with your decision. Don't come begging." She turned to leave.

"Who has ever come begging to you? Do the math!" She threw a mean punch across his face. Stephenie has been her stressball for years. How did he change so quickly? She stormed out of the room leaving Stephenie more releived than hurt.

"Young man, you may go to the school clinic for pain killers, and lie down if you need to. Rest assured that I'm sending you to a better place than jail. Your mom kind of made it clear that you're not a criminal." Mr Gaffney patted his back.

THE END