The first day back at University and as usual, I had forgotten to pack an abundance of essential items I needed for the first week of lectures. My mother and father were not pleased to say the least.
She will say it was all my fault; that I need to start taking responsibility. He will say I was the most unorganised person he’d ever met. She will say I was old enough to know better, despite the fact she had forgotten too. He will say it was the last time he would do me a favour, the last time he would pay for my mistake, the last time he would help me if I had done something wrong.
“Calm down” I will respond, reluctantly.
He will say he was even angrier than earlier. She will say I never listen. He will say I can’t do anything for myself. She will say I need to learn from my mistakes. He will say he was tired of telling me the same thing repeatedly, he will say he’d told me a million times to check I packed everything.
“I’m sorry. I promise, I will remember everything next time” I will whisper.
She will say it was fine and that this was the end of the conversation, that we couldn’t do anything about it now. He will say he knows but that wasn’t the point, that I will do the exact same thing next year. He will say he was sure of it. She will repeat that this was the end of the conversation. He will say well, we’ll see won’t we.
I will sit there looking defeated, my eyes aimed at my mother; they will speak the words “Thank you.”
Creative Non Fiction Writing at Reading 