 |
| (Flickr) |
“No, I don’t want to hear another word from you. You are not
dating that boy. I won’t allow it!” Mr. Dickens was tired of having the same
argument with his daughter. He couldn’t figure out how to make her understand
that she was acting like a spoiled, naïve child. She wanted to be treated like
an adult, but had no idea how to act like one.
Sandy stomped out her father’s office, making sure to slam
the door on her way out. Everyone was being so mean. They didn’t understand her
love and just wanted her to be miserable. It was so unfair! Just because Sean
was poor didn’t mean anything. He was also super hot and had sexy tattoos. Well,
Sandy decided that she was just going to go on a date with Sean anyway. She
didn’t care what anyone else thought about it.
The following two months were the happiest of Sandy’s life.
Sean gave her rides on his beat up motorcycle, and she got to rub it in to all
of her friends that she was dating the hottest guy in school. Her life was
exactly the way she wanted it to be, and she thought it would never change. But
good or bad, nothing lasts forever.
“What do you mean that you’re going off to college? Don’t be
ridiculous. You have to stay here and be my boyfriend!” Sandy stomped her foot
in frustration. Sean wasn’t allowed to leave her. It’s not like she could
follow him, she was only a sophomore!
“Baby, I know this sucks, but it’s a really good chance for
me. I got offered a full scholarship to a really good school. I can’t pass this
up. It might be my only chance to make something of myself.” Sean tried to
control his temper and be reasonable. He knew that Sandy would miss him when he
left, but if she really cared she wouldn’t stand in his way. He was given the
opportunity of a lifetime, one that he’d never dreamed he could get. He had a
chance to make become better and to make a good life for himself.
“If you leave me I’ll kill myself and it will be all your
fault!” Sandy stormed off as she screamed the threat.
Frantic that Sandy would do something crazy, Sean had felt
that he didn’t have a choice but to go to her father. He told Mr. Dickens
everything, terrified of what might happen. When Sandy got home three hours
later, her father and Sean were waiting for her.
“Honey, we need to talk.” Mr. Dickens was worn out, and it
showed. “Sean told me what you said. I have been doing everything that I can
think of to help you, but nothing has worked. You are a spoiled, selfish and
immature child. You lash out when you don’t get your way and you care nothing
about other people or their feelings. This cannot continue. I have no choice
but to send you to reform school.”
“You’re sending me away, because of what he said. That’s
crazy! You didn’t even want me to date him, because he’s poor, but now you’re
taking his side,” Sandy screamed.
“I never said that I didn’t want you to date him because he’s
poor. I didn’t want you to date him, because I didn’t want you to drag him
down. He’s a smart kid, and he has an excellent chance to make something of
himself. I didn’t want your drama and your selfishness to screw that up for him.
He’s going to college to get a good education. He has a bright future ahead of
him. Perhaps, you will too, someday. For now, you need to get upstairs and
start packing. We leave first thing in the morning.” Mr. Dickens’ shoulders
slumped as his daughter wailed her way upstairs. He felt terrible about sending
his only daughter away, but he saw no other choice. Hopefully, it would all work out in the end.
Author's Note: Sati was a young woman who married the god, Shiva. Sunity Devee tells her story in her book, Nine Ideal Indian Women. Sati's father, tasked with populating the universe, had married all of his daughters off to various gods. Sati was his youngest and his favorite. He was upset at her determination to marry Siva, as he was poor. However, Sati eventually got her way. Sati's father felt that Siva had insulted him during a yagna, so he determined to return the insult. The ultimate result of his machinations was his daughter's death/suicide. Committing suicide seems to be the immediate response to any and every difficulty that crops up throughout the various Indian epics and stories. It seems so ridiculous, and struck me as the reaction of a spoiled child. So, I portrayed Sati as exactly that. Although the father from the source story was a jerk, I thought that it would make a better contrast here to make her father a voice of reason.
Bibliography: Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee. Web Source.
