Week 6 Storytelling: A Mother's Instinct

Jack and Charlie met a few years ago at a mutual friend's birthday party. They immediately hit it off and became the best of friends. Even though Charlie was twelve years old and Jack was ten, they didn't mind the age difference. Jack really looked up to Charlie since he was an only child. They became inseparable. All seemed perfect, except for the fact that Jack's mother was skeptical of the friendship. One day Jack couldn't take it anymore and decided to ask his mother why she didn't like Charlie.

Jack: "Mom, why don't you like Charlie?"

Mother: "It's not that I don't like Charlie honey, I just don't think he's a very good influence on you."

Jack: "What do you mean by that?"

Mother: "I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but I just don't get a good vibe from him. I just get a feeling that he's not a good person, and that he's going to end up hurting you."

Jack: "Don't worry about me mom. I know Charlie, and I know he would never do that to me."

Mother: "Whatever you say, just don't say I didn't warn you."

A few months passed by and everything was fine. Charlie's sixteenth birthday was coming up and the two of them had big plans to go car shopping. They went on the day he turned sixteen and found the perfect car and drove it around all weekend laughing and blaring music. They were still the best of friends.

A couple weeks went by and it was time for school to start again. Charlie was a freshman this year and Jack was in eighth grade. They were at two different schools, Charlie was at the high school and Jack was at the middle school. After a few weeks into the semester, Jack hadn't seen or even heard from Charlie very much. Charlie said he was busy with schoolwork and football, and claimed that high school was a lot harder than middle school. One Friday night Jack and Charlie had plans to go see the new X-Men movie and Jack could hardly wait! Jack had his mom drop him off at Charlie's and told her that Charlie would bring him home after the movie. When Charlie answered the door Jack was surprised to see a small group of friends in Charlie's living room. Jack was bummed that it wasn't going to just be the two of them, but he also didn't mind making a few older friends.

Jack: "Are you ready to see the movie?! I can't wait! You didn't tell me you we're going to invite some of your friends to go with us."

Charlie: "Actually Jack, they invited me to go with them and I told them I would. I asked if you could come with us, but they said they don't hangout with middle schoolers. I'm really sorry, I can go with you tomorrow if you want to see it still?"

Jack: "Don't worry about it. Have a good time with your new friends."

Jack turned around and started walking home. He knew it was a long walk, but he forgot his cell phone at home so he couldn't call his mom. He was so mad at Charlie there was no way he was going to ask him for a ride either. By the time he got home the anger had passed and he burst into tears. His mother answered the door surprised to see him home so early.

Mother: "Honey, what's wrong?!"

Jack: (sobbing) "Charlie ditched me for his new high school friends."

Mother: "I'm so sorry Jack. Why don't you ask one of your other friends to go see the movie with you?"

Jack: "None of my friends except Charlie like X-Men. That was our thing."

The next day Jack walked into the kitchen while his mom was cooking lunch.

Jack: "Well aren't you going to say it?"

Mother: "Say what?"

Jack: "I told you so."

Mother: "Jack, I'm not going to be cruel. I'm sorry that Charlie treated you that way and I hope it never happens again. I love you and I would never want anyone to mistreat you. That's why I tried to warn you, so you would have your guard up."

Jack: "Thanks mom. Next time you tell me something like that I will. I love you too."

(Mother & Son)

Author's note: This week I read some South African Folk-Tales. There was one in particular that really caught my attention. It was about a lion that thought he was smarter than his mother. In the story the mother told the lion to beware of the man. The lion thought to himself, I know the man so why should I be afraid of him. He did what his mother warned him not to and went to the field where the man was. The man and his dogs attacked the lion and the man speared him. The man let him go and he went back to his mother. His mother told him again what she had said before. I decided to make my story about a childhood friendship. Growing up my mom would always tell me if she didn't have a good feeling towards one of my friends, and sometimes she would be right about them. No mother wants to see their children hurting, and no child wants their mother to tell them what to do. It's an on going battle, but I think most people can relate to this story.

Bibliography: This story is based on readings from South African Folktales by James Honey (1910).