Painful Papers

• Pahal Wasu, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2020

“I’m home, Mom!” Tara yelled as she entered her house and switched on the television. Her mother came in and switched it off, saying, “You’re not watching anything until you finish off your homework!”. Tara was beyond furious. Watching TV was the first thing she did after coming home and her mother knew that. She took a piece of paper and wrote, ‘Fine, but I’m not talking to you anymore!’. She handed it to her mom. Her mom was hurt but Tara didn’t notice. Her mother plainly wrote back, ‘OK’.

This ‘pass-the-paper’ game went on for a few days. On Sunday, Tara came to her mother with another slip and gave it to her. It said, ‘I have to go to a school picnic tomorrow at 7am. Can you wake me up at 6?’. Mum held up a placard that said ‘Sure’. Next morning, Tara woke up shocked. She looked at the clock. It was 9am. She ran to her mother and cried “You didn't wake me up! I missed my bus! I missed the picnic!” Her mom said nothing. She simply led Tara back to her room and showed her several slips of paper and some breakfast on a plate that was kept on her bedside table. Then she went back to her own work. Tara read the slips. They said things like, ‘Wake up, Tara, it’s 6:00.” and ‘You’re still asleep! It’s 6:45! You’ll miss your bus! Here’s some breakfast’. Tara was crushed. She sank to her knees and cried for a while. She had realised her mistake now.

She got up, dried her tears and went to her mother who was watering the plants. “I’m sorry, mom. What I did, wasn’t right!” Tara said but her mother remained silent. Tara tried once more, “I’m sorry. I have realised my mistake. Please talk to me”. Finally, her mom replied, “I was talking to you normally. I switched off the TV for your own good. But you got angry and handed me a piece of paper. Is a non-living, time-wasting box more important to you now?”. Tara knew that she had hurt her mother, but she also knew exactly how to fix her mistake. She went inside the house and to her room. She got out a piece of paper, this time a bright-orange one, and wrote one last slip for her mother. She went back outside and handed it to her mother, hoping it would be sufficient to make her mother happy. Her mother took it, presuming her daughter had started a new game. But as she read it, her eyes were filled with tears and she pulled Tara into an embrace. The slip read:

“Sorry, Mom. I’m really sorry,
Because of me, you always worry.
But I now realise,
That I made our talks taper,
And that I wiped-out our fun capers.
Therefore I now promise,
Never to give you anymore painful papers.”