He is just an 11 year old boy trying to do the right thing. He knows that when he comes home with his homework already completed dad will be happy and will tell him “great job, I’m proud of you son”. That is why he is sitting here now, on the curb, in the school parking lot, after school, trying so hard to hurry through his homework so he will have it completed before he goes home to see dear old dad.
Homework has been an issue for this sweet kid all year. Why do they pile on so much mundane practice work every single day that reviews the concepts he has spent all day diligently learning? He sees all of the grown-ups come home from their days work and they don’t have to spend another hour doing more work. He gets up early every morning just like they do. He works hard all day long at his job for 7 hours, 7 straight hours, that is a lot of work for a kid. And then this, more work when he goes home at night. Dad gets off work and he gets to drink beer and watch T.V. Mom comes home and gets to go on facebook. He goes home and he gets to do homework?
So here he sits, just trying to get it done before he gets home, he is so close. One more page of math problems and he can clock out for his day. He can get a “good job” and a pat on the back then he is free to go play. Damn wind keeps blowing his paper while he tries to balance it on his knees, just a small boy sitting on a curb trying to do the right thing.
“What the hell are you doing” dad says in his mean voice. “School has been out for 20 minutes, why aren’t you home, make me walk all the way up here looking for you”. “Been hanging out playing with your friends haven’t you, you know its homework first”. “Get up right now and get your ass home”.
His face flushes with embarrassment and his heart rate increases. He was so close and just got wrapped up in what he was doing, his goddam homework. “I was just trying to finish my homework before I got home so it would make you happy dad” he stammers as he tries to get his books and papers into his backpack.
“I don’t care; you are supposed to come straight home after school. All you want to do is play with those friends of yours. You know homework comes first before you go play”.
“But I was trying to do my homework before I got home “ tears are now forming in his eyes and he realizes he has done something wrong, or at least wrong in dad’s eyes. It’s the fucking homework. The homework, he will never get it all right or done fast enough or done at the right table or done neat enough. He was just trying to get it done the easy way today and here we go again with the trouble. The homework, the fucking homework, he wishes he could just get his dads job.
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