Children do not often realize the sacrifices their parents make for them. For this teenage boy in this story which was inspired by the readers at AmoMama, he learned all about how his expectations and demands were wrong after his mother ends up in the emergency room.
Blake was a typical 14-year-old kid, he was at the age where he wanted to be cool like his friends. That meant he wanted the coolest new sneakers, the coolest clothes and it was practically an emergency if his cell phone was not the latest model available. What Blake did not understand was that his mom was all on her own, she worked very hard and did not make as much money as all his friend’s parents did. Although she made sure her son was in a very good school, it also meant that he was surrounded by snobby children who always got what they wanted.
Blake got home from school one afternoon and excitedly told his mom about a school outing next week. This meant he did not have to wear his school uniform and he really wanted to have the latest sneakers to show off to his friends. Unfortunately, his mom just did not have the money for fancy new shoes. She had already used some cash from her emergency funds to cover some bills that month.
Blake was not impressed at all. He continued to beg his mother for the new sneakers, but there was nothing she could do. She promised her son that the minute she was paid again, they would get him some brand new sneakers.
Blake was angry and made sure his mother knew it. He did not care if she’d already used emergency funds for other things.
His mom was making dinner at the time when Blake had asked for the sneakers. He told her he was not going to eat what she made, that her food was rotten just like she was. He told his mom that he hated her for never letting him get what he wanted. Blake stormed off and slammed his bedroom door behind him. Leaving his mom to eat dinner alone. She sat at the table and even had his plate dished up, hoping he would come out and join her. But she ended up eating alone and Blakes dinner got cold. Eventually, she put his food in the microwave and went to bed.
Blakes mom lay in bed thinking about how she wished her son would understand. You see, Blakes’s dad had left when he was just five years old, and refused to help with money. In fact. she had not heard from him since the day he left them. She thought about how over the years Blake had always resented her because he could not have the latest PlayStation or computer games. How his cellphone was never good enough, even though he always got his mom’s upgrades. She cried herself to sleep as she remembered how her little boy mocked her food and said she was a bad mom.
What hurt most was that Blake had said she hated her, and he’d never said this before.
The next morning, Blakes’s mom felt no better. The words her son had spoken replayed in her head, over and over. She could not even get herself to get out of bed. Eventually, late, she stood up to get into the shower. Blakes mom slipped and fell and was knocked unconscious.
In the meantime, Blake had woken up. He was angry and late, with no idea that his mom lay in the bathroom in need of emergency help. Why had his mom not woken him up in time? What was her problem? The angry boy stomped off to the kitchen and noticed that the dishes had not been done, his school lunch had not been made. Where was his breakfast? Angry, Blake yelled for his mother, but nobody responded.
Eventually, he made his way to his mother’s bedroom and opened the door angrily, yelling at her. He looked at the bed and saw his mother was not there. Then, he peered into the adjoining bathroom and suddenly his heart sunk. He saw his mom lying on the floor.
Blake cried out as he rushed to his moms side, pulling out his cellphone to call the emergency number.
Blake started to cry. He managed to call 911 and report what happened. Very soon, an ambulance pulled up and took his unconscious mother away. He had been urged by the emergency lady on the call to stay with a friend for the day and not to go with him to the hospital, so his neighbor came over to check on him every so often. As the day went on, he heard nothing from the hospital.
Blake missed his mother. He did not know if she was going to be okay or not. He decided to crawl into her bed and try to sleep. At least he would feel close to her if he lay in her room. He sat on the edge of his mom’s bed and noticed a notepad and some other things on her side pedestal. He picked it up and began to read what appeared to be a list. Blake read:
January Budget: Income $2000
Rent: $800
School Fees: $200
Food: $500
Replace emergency savings: $300
PlayStation savings fund: $50
The list went on, and it exceeded what his mother earned. Blake realized that his mom would probably have to dip into her emergency funds again because right now, she was in the hospital and she did not have health insurance. Blake burst into tears as he realized how selfish he had been. And now, it might be too late. He may never see his mom again.
Suddenly, Blakes phone rang. It was the emergency room.
The lady on the phone told Blake that his mom was okay. She had slipped and fallen and had some swelling on the brain, but that she should be okay. She told Blake that his mom was going to need a lot of extra love and care and would need to stay in hospital for a little while, but that he could visit her tomorrow.
Blake spent that night crying, unable to sleep. He thought about how he was going to make it up to his mom. All those days he had resented her, meanwhile, she was doing so much for him.
Sometimes, it does take a bad experience to show us how we can improve, how we have been selfish, and what is important in life. Luckily for Blake, he was going to get a chance to set things right.
This story was inspired by an original piece of fiction that first appeared on AmoMama. Any similarities between this story and actual people is purely coincidental.
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