Hidden Dreams

Episode 5

One evening I came back from my usual walks and my father followed me in my room.
I stood up and looked at him, he looked around the room and frowned indicating for me to sit down.

” Jared” , be begun. ” i have tried everything I could as a father to make you into a man. I took you to one of the best schools in town and you repaid me with insults by becoming so unruly and getting yourself suspended more than I can recall. The only reason you stayed in that school is because your mother knows the principle there. Otherwise they could have expelled you a long time ago.

Now tell me, what do you want my son? What is it that you lucky in this house that has led you to your current behaviour?” He asked me

I shifted uncomfortably on my bed.
I watched my father who didn’t move his eyes from me. He’s stare getting to me.
I cleared my throat and got courage looking at how calm he was. I thought of the words of aunty Nelly ” try to let your parents understand you”
” well father,” I started. ” i… I don’t like school. I don’t seem to understand anything at all no matter how much I try. I swear I tried studying but I couldn’t just get it. Sometimes I feel I heard every thing the teacher says but in the end when it comes to write I don’t seem to remember a thing. It’s like I can’t match the questions with the things I study or hear.

” I paused to look at dad, who’s face didn’t show any emotions. He was quite and I jumped in my heart. Glad that I got him to understand me finally.

I sat up encouraged as I poured my heart out.
” what I love the most and find it so easy to do is ball room dancing, you know,” I shrugged. ” Salsa, waltz, …..” I went on metioning the dances to him and I couldn’t finish my list when I felt my head turn round in circles.

I fall on my back in the bed holding my cheek where dad’s slap had landed.

Shocked in the moment as I saw my father’s eyes turn red with anger.
” now, listen to me you good for nothing boy, this is the last time you will ever say that to my face. How dare You?. Here I am trying to get you to reason like a man and you go about spitting in my face you hate school and love that, that , stupid dancing thing,” he stammered in his last words.
” not in my house, you hear. Not under my roof with that bulshit. Now let me warn you. If I hear anything about your unruly behaviour and you dancing around. Tstststst” he clicked his tongue.

” that is the day you will stop being my son.” He snapped and walked out..
” pack your clothes you are going to a boarding school tomorrow” he shouted back at me before slamming the door making me jump.

” boarding school? Seriously?” I cried shutting my eyes as the effect of the slap was still making me feel dizzy.

I cramped myself to sleep that night and wished I wouldn’t wake up. Aunty Nelly was wrong. My parents would never understand and now they are sending me away to some boarding school I didn’t even know.

“How ironic” I thought aloud.
“What a better way of pushing me out of their lives.”