I have a confession to make. I’m very, very mad at Father. And Mother, too.
I shouldn’t be. I know.
But...
I thought things would get better. They used to be.
Father used to spend time with us, and he and Mother weren’t always happy, but there was no yelling.
But ever since Father hit Mother that time, he’s been angrier and angrier.
He got better at first, but then he just went back. He didn’t hit Mother again, but he’s not the Father I remember.
It’s not his fault, I know. Grandfather explained the difficulties at court. He said that it took too long to get something called standardized money. All the different states had their own money, but some states didn’t make things that anyone wanted and some states made things that everyone wanted. So everyone was getting confused when they wanted to buy things because there was too many different kinds of money around and no one knew how much it was all worth.
I’m not really sure I understand it, but Mother said he’d help me understand more later. Grandfather said that Mother really understands economics, whatever that is, so I guess I’ll have to wait for Mother to explain.
Grandfather said that because everyone was confused, a lot of people had to do bad things to live. He said that there were rebellions and uprisings because people were afraid. He said that those people didn’t really understand what was going on, but that some people who did had lied to them and took advantage of their confusion.
I asked why Father didn’t just make a single type of money, and Grandfather said it was because the country was still young and new, and that they didn’t have the power to force the states to do it yet, but that all the senators would vote on it.
I wonder how Grandfather will vote.
He also said there were other problems. A lot of the rich people at court wanted Father to send troops to protect their lands. The poor people were sneaking onto their land and using it to grow food for themselves or make stuff that they could sell later for food. The rich people didn’t like that their land was being stolen and made not pretty anymore, so they want Father to do something about the poor people.
Father had tried that, but the poor kept sneaking back on, and it was hard to keep them off. Grandfather said that it was because people weren’t always good and didn’t always obey order.
I’m not sure what I think about that.
But it’s enough to give me a headache, and I don’t even deal with it. If Father’s worrying about all of this, it’s no wonder that he’s mad all the time.
I really shouldn’t be mad at him. I really, really shouldn’t.
But I am.
It’s other people making him mad. Why is he coming home and yelling at Mother?
And Mother.
I just don’t understand him. Father’s always yelling at him, and he never seems to care!
I wanted to yell back at Father, but Mother wouldn’t let me.
He told me to go to my room.
I’m mad at Mother, too.
I really, really shouldn’t be, but...
At least the twins will be born soon. Doctor White said that there were only around 3 or 4 months left, and soon, I’ll have a baby brother or sister.
Father didn’t use to be this way. He always spent time with me before. He used to smile and laugh. He didn’t yell at Mother so much. Things will be better once the baby is born. Then things can go back to the way they were.
His Mother's Son 9
Journal of Haytham Lee, aged 12
I have a confession to make. I’m very, very mad at Father. And Mother, too.
I shouldn’t be. I know.
But...
I thought things would get better. They used to be.
Father used to spend time with us, and he and Mother weren’t always happy, but there was no yelling.
But ever since Father hit Mother that time, he’s been angrier and angrier.
He got better at first, but then he just went back. He didn’t hit Mother again, but he’s not the Father I remember.
It’s not his fault, I know. Grandfather explained the difficulties at court. He said that it took too long to get something called standardized money. All the different states had their own money, but some states didn’t make things that anyone wanted and some states made things that everyone wanted. So everyone was getting confused when they wanted to buy things because there was too many different kinds of money around and no one knew how much it was all worth.
I’m not really sure I understand it, but Mother said he’d help me understand more later. Grandfather said that Mother really understands economics, whatever that is, so I guess I’ll have to wait for Mother to explain.
Grandfather said that because everyone was confused, a lot of people had to do bad things to live. He said that there were rebellions and uprisings because people were afraid. He said that those people didn’t really understand what was going on, but that some people who did had lied to them and took advantage of their confusion.
I asked why Father didn’t just make a single type of money, and Grandfather said it was because the country was still young and new, and that they didn’t have the power to force the states to do it yet, but that all the senators would vote on it.
I wonder how Grandfather will vote.
He also said there were other problems. A lot of the rich people at court wanted Father to send troops to protect their lands. The poor people were sneaking onto their land and using it to grow food for themselves or make stuff that they could sell later for food. The rich people didn’t like that their land was being stolen and made not pretty anymore, so they want Father to do something about the poor people.
Father had tried that, but the poor kept sneaking back on, and it was hard to keep them off. Grandfather said that it was because people weren’t always good and didn’t always obey order.
I’m not sure what I think about that.
But it’s enough to give me a headache, and I don’t even deal with it. If Father’s worrying about all of this, it’s no wonder that he’s mad all the time.
I really shouldn’t be mad at him. I really, really shouldn’t.
But I am.
It’s other people making him mad. Why is he coming home and yelling at Mother?
And Mother.
I just don’t understand him. Father’s always yelling at him, and he never seems to care!
I wanted to yell back at Father, but Mother wouldn’t let me.
He told me to go to my room.
I’m mad at Mother, too.
I really, really shouldn’t be, but...
At least the twins will be born soon. Doctor White said that there were only around 3 or 4 months left, and soon, I’ll have a baby brother or sister.
Father didn’t use to be this way. He always spent time with me before. He used to smile and laugh. He didn’t yell at Mother so much. Things will be better once the baby is born. Then things can go back to the way they were.