SnowSquirrel
May 16th, 2009, 1:20 am
Here's something in an unusual style, but hopefully acceptable:
The Trouble With Sam
Here's the story of a teenager named Sam who got in a heap of trouble. When Sam turned thirteen, his dad decided that Sam needed money, and not just the allowance he'd been getting. "You're a big boy now," he said, and gave Sam a credit card. But he also gave Sam a contract to sign.
Sam's dad would pay the credit card bill, but Sam would have to be responsible about using it. The contract had a list of things Sam could use it for: gas for Sam's car, food at school, and emergencies. Dad was a lawyer, so to be clever he added a bit at the end. The extra part spelled out that Sam couldn't use the card for anything but what was on the list. Sam would be nothing but a thief if he broke the rules.
Sam puzzled over the contract, then signed it with a smile. Things went well for a while. Sam fueled up his car, bought lunch at the school cafeteria, and hired a taxi to get home when his car broke down one day. After the taxi incident he said, "I've been thinking I could save you money if I bought a triple-A membership. They're good for car trouble, and give you free maps and stuff if you go on a trip." Sam's dad was busy reading the paper, so he didn't say anything. Sam bought the membership, and the dues started showing up on Dad's credit card bill. Dad grumbled but didn't say anything. AAA membership was a pretty good idea, after all.
Then Sam started buying food outside of school, and putting it on the card. "I was out of cash that day," he'd say, or "I forgot my wallet." He tried to impress a girl by buying her lunch too, and bought himself some friends with meals and free gas. "The card's for food," he said, "but you didn't say for who."
Dad put his foot down one day. "This has to stop. I'm not going to pay the bill for all this stuff you're buying."
Sam had grown up. The independent boy had become a tough punk, who loomed over his father. "Yes, you will. You signed a deal, and I'll use the card how I want." He got in Dad's face until Dad got so angry, Sam found himself getting slapped in the face.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Sam.
Dad woke up in the hospital. His son had beaten him senseless, smashed in his teeth, and broken two ribs. His goon friends had joined in on the beating and kicked Dad to the curb. Now Sam leaned over him in the hospital bed, saying, "Are you gonna behave now?"
Dad was so frightened by his own son that he just nodded.
Time went on, and Sam's appetite grew. He started buying drugs, buying women, buying guns for his gang of friends. He got a whole new car and flashy clothes. Dad went on paying the bills, because he was rich and scared. But the fact was, Dad was going broke. The gang hung around his house and office, insulting and threatening everyone around them. Whenever Dad dared to complain about the bills, Sam sneered at him and said, "Screw you! I can do anything I want!"
One day, Sam's mom finally put her own foot down. She took Dad aside and said, "You're a great man, but what you're doing is wrong. It's hurting this family. You're helping Sam cheat us out of house and home. He thinks he's the town hero, throwing money around, but it's our money, not his. You've got to stop him."
Dad said, "How? I signed a deal to pay all his bills, and I've got to stick to that."
"That's not what you signed at all!" said Mom. "You said gas, and meals, and emergencies, and nothing else."
Dad thought back to something Sam's gang had said, and repeated it. "We're in an emergency. Forever. He makes the rules now."
Mom said, "So, you think he's got a right to run roughshod over you? Are you ever going to do more than complain when he snaps at us and robs us?"
Dad looked like he didn't understand at all. He looked like a broken man. "He's not robbing us. He's got a right to take what he wants. All I can do is ask him to tone it down."
Mom was pleading with Dad to stand up and be the brave man she'd married. "You've got a right to your own life, and you've got to help me if I'm going to keep this house together. Please, tell him no."
"I can't."
She said, "Then one day, Sam's going to kill us. He'll cut my throat to spite you, or he'll starve us bit by bit."
Dad sighed and felt the scars where his son had kicked him in the chest. Sam would never do that to his mother... or would he? Dad had bled when he tried to say no. He didn't have a right to say no. His future was one big No.
But... no again. He was thinking of this the wrong way. His wife was looking him in the eyes. What he needed to say, what she needed to hear, was a great big Yes. Yes to being a man, to standing up for himself, for dropping the excuses and word-games his son had used to rip him off. He had to respect himself and defend his home, or he and his wife would die.
What happened then, I can't say. But Dad was brave and proud, and his son was a lazy, thieving thug. Whether Dad got his life back and won the day -- well, it comes down to whether good can beat evil, when a good man is willing to try. Dad had a righteous look in his eye when he left the house that day, and Sam was in a heap of trouble.
The Trouble With Sam
Here's the story of a teenager named Sam who got in a heap of trouble. When Sam turned thirteen, his dad decided that Sam needed money, and not just the allowance he'd been getting. "You're a big boy now," he said, and gave Sam a credit card. But he also gave Sam a contract to sign.
Sam's dad would pay the credit card bill, but Sam would have to be responsible about using it. The contract had a list of things Sam could use it for: gas for Sam's car, food at school, and emergencies. Dad was a lawyer, so to be clever he added a bit at the end. The extra part spelled out that Sam couldn't use the card for anything but what was on the list. Sam would be nothing but a thief if he broke the rules.
Sam puzzled over the contract, then signed it with a smile. Things went well for a while. Sam fueled up his car, bought lunch at the school cafeteria, and hired a taxi to get home when his car broke down one day. After the taxi incident he said, "I've been thinking I could save you money if I bought a triple-A membership. They're good for car trouble, and give you free maps and stuff if you go on a trip." Sam's dad was busy reading the paper, so he didn't say anything. Sam bought the membership, and the dues started showing up on Dad's credit card bill. Dad grumbled but didn't say anything. AAA membership was a pretty good idea, after all.
Then Sam started buying food outside of school, and putting it on the card. "I was out of cash that day," he'd say, or "I forgot my wallet." He tried to impress a girl by buying her lunch too, and bought himself some friends with meals and free gas. "The card's for food," he said, "but you didn't say for who."
Dad put his foot down one day. "This has to stop. I'm not going to pay the bill for all this stuff you're buying."
Sam had grown up. The independent boy had become a tough punk, who loomed over his father. "Yes, you will. You signed a deal, and I'll use the card how I want." He got in Dad's face until Dad got so angry, Sam found himself getting slapped in the face.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Sam.
Dad woke up in the hospital. His son had beaten him senseless, smashed in his teeth, and broken two ribs. His goon friends had joined in on the beating and kicked Dad to the curb. Now Sam leaned over him in the hospital bed, saying, "Are you gonna behave now?"
Dad was so frightened by his own son that he just nodded.
Time went on, and Sam's appetite grew. He started buying drugs, buying women, buying guns for his gang of friends. He got a whole new car and flashy clothes. Dad went on paying the bills, because he was rich and scared. But the fact was, Dad was going broke. The gang hung around his house and office, insulting and threatening everyone around them. Whenever Dad dared to complain about the bills, Sam sneered at him and said, "Screw you! I can do anything I want!"
One day, Sam's mom finally put her own foot down. She took Dad aside and said, "You're a great man, but what you're doing is wrong. It's hurting this family. You're helping Sam cheat us out of house and home. He thinks he's the town hero, throwing money around, but it's our money, not his. You've got to stop him."
Dad said, "How? I signed a deal to pay all his bills, and I've got to stick to that."
"That's not what you signed at all!" said Mom. "You said gas, and meals, and emergencies, and nothing else."
Dad thought back to something Sam's gang had said, and repeated it. "We're in an emergency. Forever. He makes the rules now."
Mom said, "So, you think he's got a right to run roughshod over you? Are you ever going to do more than complain when he snaps at us and robs us?"
Dad looked like he didn't understand at all. He looked like a broken man. "He's not robbing us. He's got a right to take what he wants. All I can do is ask him to tone it down."
Mom was pleading with Dad to stand up and be the brave man she'd married. "You've got a right to your own life, and you've got to help me if I'm going to keep this house together. Please, tell him no."
"I can't."
She said, "Then one day, Sam's going to kill us. He'll cut my throat to spite you, or he'll starve us bit by bit."
Dad sighed and felt the scars where his son had kicked him in the chest. Sam would never do that to his mother... or would he? Dad had bled when he tried to say no. He didn't have a right to say no. His future was one big No.
But... no again. He was thinking of this the wrong way. His wife was looking him in the eyes. What he needed to say, what she needed to hear, was a great big Yes. Yes to being a man, to standing up for himself, for dropping the excuses and word-games his son had used to rip him off. He had to respect himself and defend his home, or he and his wife would die.
What happened then, I can't say. But Dad was brave and proud, and his son was a lazy, thieving thug. Whether Dad got his life back and won the day -- well, it comes down to whether good can beat evil, when a good man is willing to try. Dad had a righteous look in his eye when he left the house that day, and Sam was in a heap of trouble.