aver
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Ted’s hands were sweaty as he ate. His heart beat fast and he felt sweat drip down the back of his shirt. His announcement would probably not go over well. Not in this household. But it needed to be done. And he needed to say his peace with as much confidence as he could muster. That was not a whole lot, but it would have to do.
His family were focused on their meal. Dad had managed to catch a deer, which was now serving as their dinner. Better than the squirrel casserole they had eaten last week, that was for sure. The slabs of venison meant that they were not focused on him, giving him time to bury his nervousness as deep as he possibly could.
When dinner was coming to a close, he knew it was time. Or at least, the moment was as good as he could ever make it.
“Everyone, I’ve got something to say.” He said, sitting up straight and trying not to show how he felt.
Mom was the first to respond. “What is it, Teddy?” She asked as she started to clean the table, along with his little sister.
Ted took a deep breath. “Mom, Dad, I know how you two feel about me and how I live my life. I know you both want me to live my life good and well and all that. And that you two have a lot of ideas about how that should happen.” This next part was the big one. He mustered up everything he could. “Well, I’m going to tell you now that all those plans aren’t for me. I’m going to go to college. I’m going to get an education and make something bigger of myself.”
And with that, it was done. The announcement made, and the news delivered. Now he just needed to deal with the fallout. His parents were silent as they contemplated what they had just been told. Little sister Took the opportunity to bow out. She would stay near though, watching and listening. She would likely use this conversation to dump on him later.
“No.” Dad said simply.
“Dad?”
“I said no. I’m not going to let my son be brainwashed in one of those so called placed of ‘higher learning’. You go to one of those places, and you’ll come back gay or something.”
“Okay, first of all, I’m definitely not gay. Second, so what if I was? And college doesn’t change people’s preference for romantic partners. It’s about education. About getting life experiences and getting a leg up in the job market. I’ll be able to get a better job and really make my way in life.”
“You don’t need it.” Dad said. “It’s a waste of time and money, and won’t get you anything you don’t already have. You’re going to follow in my footsteps anyway. Being a builder is a good, respectable job and our family has been doing it for generations.”
“Well maybe I don’t want to be a builder. Maybe I want to design the building. Maybe I want to be the one the building is for. Maybe I don’t want to break my back for minimum wage.”
Dad slammed his hand on the table. He finally looked Ted in the eye. “I. Said. No. No son of mine is going to sit behind a desk for the rest of his life. That’s all college will lead to. That’s my say, and that’s final.”
“I’ve already submitted my applications.” Ted said. “And If I’m accepted, I will be going. I don’t even need your help paying for it. I’ve got a dozen scholarships lined up. I’ve been saving all the money I’ve earned since I got a job. I will go to college.”
“You’re my son and you will do what I tell you to.” Dad said. He spoke not in a yell, but in a low growl. That was far worse than had he yelled. “And I’m telling you that you will not go to college.”
Ted leaned forward, trying to get the knots in his gut to untangle. “Yes. Yes I will. And if you try and stop me, well, I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I guarantee you’ll like it a lot less than a few years of education.”
The two of them stared at each other. Neither willing to give ground. At least, that’s what Ted hoped he looked like. He certainly did not feel as confident as he tried to act. The staring contest was broken when Mom came into the picture. She did it by slamming a bowl of bread pudding down on the table between them.
“Now, now, there’s no need to be up in arms over this. We can talk about it later. For now, I’ve got dessert all set. It’d be terrible if it was spoiled by bad blood between family, right?”
Both of the men grumbled something like an agreement. Dad leaned back and crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact with everyone else. Ted sat bolt upright and gripped the side of his chair with a white knuckle grip. His continued to look calm and composed, but his mind was roiling with what had just happened.
All in all, it went better than he had expected it to.
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Getting an education is important. College might not be for everyone, but there's lots of other ways of learning out there.
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