14
That afternoon, Mom got a call from Zach’s
school. He’d been in a fight, a bad one. The
other student was seriously injured, and Zach was being expelled, possibly facing criminal charges. “We need a parent or guardian to come to the school as soon as possible to
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complete the withdrawal process.”
Mom froze. “Why? He’s graduating in a few
months. Why would he get into a fight?”
The school’s explanation was carefully
worded: “A dispute over a romantic interest.”
In reality, Zach had been pursuing a girl for
months, only to have her snatched away by
another guy. He confronted them. The other
guy, holding his girlfriend’s hand, had said,
“Your own sister died such a horrible death,
and you’re worried about dating? Who would
want to be with you?”
Zach had snapped, attacking the other
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student. In the struggle, he grabbed a glass
and smashed it over the guy’s head, a shard
of glass piercing his temple. Since Zach had
started the fight, and the other student was
more seriously injured, expulsion was
inevitable. Worse, the other student’s parents
had pressed charges.
Zach, usually so arrogant and cocky, burst
into tears when he saw Mom.
Mom, remarkably calm, sat down with the
other parents to discuss a settlement. They
were adamant at first, wanting to press
charges, wanting Zach to have a criminal
record. Then Mom offered a hundred
thousand dollars. Zach was expelled, but at
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least he avoided jail time.
On the way home, Zach looked defeated.
“Ashley’s dead. Why can’t I date? Why can’t I
have a normal life?”
Mom turned sharply, staring at him as if he
were a stranger. Zach shivered. “What…
Mom?”
Mom shook her head. “Let’s go home.”
With only a high school diploma, Zach
couldn’t find a decent job. Mom told him to
work at Dad’s factory, to prepare to take over
the family business. Zach, resentful, knew he
had no other choice.
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Three months later, a worker’s hand got
caught in the machinery and was mangled. He
barely survived, but his family, with a newborn
baby and a wife on maternity leave, lost their
primary source of income. Dad, exploiting a
loophole in the worker’s contract, not only
refused to pay compensation but demanded
payment for the damaged machinery.
Karma’s a bitch.
After being discharged from the hospital, the
worker stormed into the factory with a knife,
forcing Dad to put both his hands into the
same machine that had crushed his own.
Zach stood there, watching, unable to stop
the man from mutilating his own father.
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the man from mutilating his own father.
Dad lost his right hand. His left hand was left
with only two fingers, a grotesque, mangled
stump. He screamed in pain. Staring at the
blood on the bandages, Mom whispered,
“Was Ashley in this much pain that night? She
kept calling for me… I didn’t hear her. How
could I not have heard her?”
There was no answer.
Mom, why did it take you so long to
understand? Some questions never have
answers.
