Bringing Up

"Wedding in March?" Mother asked Father. "How can we go? Son has exams."

"Ma," Son intervened, "Exams start only towards end of March. Let's go, please."

"No!" Mom said shocked. "You have to prepare. Your exams are more important. Not this."

Son went to his room to study.

**

"How can we entertain people at this time? Son has to prepare for the Math Olympiad. You go in, Son... This is more important than guests." Mother sent her Son in before he could protest.

"But he has entrance exams! I don't think your parents should come now! No, sonny, your exams are more important." Father nodded and called up his father to postpone the trip.

"Son has waited for this trip, Father." Mother patted her college going Son on his head. "We promised him this as a gift for his performance in the boards." Father put off visiting his ailing aunt to take his Son on holiday.

"Your swimming classes...your tennis...your this your that...more important..."

**

"Oh Mother!" Son said. "Can't you see I have deadlines? I can't take time off to take you on pilgrimage now!"

Mother sat back hurt. He had put off taking her to her niece's wedding, her mother before she passed away, and now this.

She wondered why, when she had sacrificed everything for him, placed him before everything else in her life, her Son had turned out so selfish, putting only himself before everything else!