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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Free Short Story: Animals Have It So Easy: A Mom and Son Conversation

Animals Have It So Easy: A Mom and Son Conversation


by Georgevine Moss


Andrew had to go back to school in September and after about a month of that he just had enough. After a long, hard day of sitting in an uncomfortable chair listening to people talking Andrew was glad to be back at home. It also happened to be Friday so homework could wait and let him take a breather. Not much of a breather when mom is waiting to question you; hiding in the kitchen, where she knows you HAVE to go in order to eat.

Andrew has some pretty strong thoughts about this. Once he even recorded these thoughts on his webcam. He thought he was so good that he gave his mom a USB stick with the video copied in it. His mom keeps it in a safe at an unknown location, probably for evidence.

Video Recording: Playing

“I mean, really, what’s up with that? They are worse than some crazy stalker. They know exactly where you are at all times, where you’ll go next and when and if by some miracle they don’t, they extort it out of you. And despite all that, despite all this Intel the CIA would be lucky to ever have on its suspects, they still hide in your own home, waiting to ask you where you have been anyway. I mean why do they do that? Do they want to piss you off and why? Do they get a kick out of it? Is it some sort of reimbursement for having you? What?”

“And when you ask them, they say it’s because they love you and care about you and don’t want to see you hurt. Well, guess what. That’s exactly how stalkers feel about their victims too, but they still lock THEM up.”

Video Recording: Paused

Andrew stormed in the kitchen and went straight for the fridge. His mom sat in the middle of the room, resting both arms on the bench, leafing through a fitness magazine.

Mom: Good evening to you too.

Andrew was too busy drinking water to reply. Was he being rude? People need water. He was thirsty. People die without water. What’s the point of “good evening” anyway, to start up a conversation? She knew he was coming, she knew where he had been and what he had done—more or less— and she knew what he wanted in the kitchen. What exactly did she want to know?

Mom: So how was your day?

Andrew: Same.

Mom: School OK?

Andrew: No.

Mom: So you weren’t lying then.

Andrew: Funny. Why do I have to go to school anyway?

Mom: I am not going to debate this again with you. You are too strong-headed about this to offer any meaningful counterarguments; you know, like ones that actually make sense.

Andrew: Oh, yeah? How about this: animals.

Mom: OK. That’s new. I’ll bite. What about them?

Andrew: They have it SO easy.

Mom: Uh-huh.

Andrew: Take bears for example. Do they need to get up before the sun even does and work way into the night, for like ever? No. In fact, they don’t even need to wake up AT ALL during the tough times, which also happens to be the winter for them too even though they don’t have school like I do, instead they sleep it off.

Mom: So what you are saying is you want to sleep during the winter and wake up in time for the summer?

Andrew: NO. I’m just saying…it’s so much easier…Never mind, you wouldn’t understand anyway.

Mom: OK. Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t you gather your thoughts together in a nice recording like this other one you made, remember?

Andrew: I'm busy.

Mom: Take your time, there's no rush...but don't forget to make me a copy, OK?

Rec…


Not surprisingly, there seems to be a discussion about school, sleep and children here: Let Students Sleep. Of course, any comments on the subject or the story are welcome in the blog too.