That time I got rejected three times on the same day!

Chapter 25

Mother came home early. I had Judo class twice a week, and today was a Judo day. I was lying in front of the TV in my Judo gi, a crisp white uniform. Vicky was sitting opposite me on another chair. She had gracefully given up the prime spot on the couch. Mother didn't walk in as usual; she put all her things on the living room table and dropped onto her knees next to the couch. She cupped my face with one hand and examined my eyes. She was blocking the TV.

"Mother, I can't see past you," I said.

She hugged me.

"I was so worried Henry. I wanted to come right away and pick you up, but my boss threatened to fire me if I left."

The hug hurt. I didn't have any bruises, but my arms and legs were still tender.

"I'm fine mother. It was nothing."

She pulled back and scanned my face.

"Why are you dressed like this?" she said. "You need rest."

"I'm fine, and I want to go."

Mother looked at the clock. There was still two hours before Judo training started. It usually took us only 30 minutes to get there, so there was plenty of time.

"Okay Henry, let's see how you feel in an hour."

She stood up and looked down at Vicky.

"Did you take the bus home?" she asked.

"Yes mother. We missed the first one, but caught the next one."

Vicky looked at, but I shook my head. I didn't want her to tell mother about the incident on the way home from school.

"Okay darlings. Do you want something to eat?"

"No thanks," I said.

Vicky jumped up and followed mother into the kitchen.

I was standing at the front door, ready to go. It was just half past six. Mother came from the kitchen.

"Do you still want to go?"

I crossed my arms.

"Yes mother."

"Okay dear, let me just get my keys."

Vicky was peering over the couch at me. Ever since this afternoon she had been keeping a vigil on me.

"What?" I said.

She ducked down quickly. Mother's car keys were clinking together. She picked up her handbag and straightened her blouse.

"Okay, ready to go?"

Was she just stalling? Wondering if I would change my mind in the last minute?

"Yes mother."

I was looking forward to going to training, but not the drive there. Spending half an hour in the car alone with mother was going to be hard. I knew Mr.King had called her and she had probably insisted on talking to Mrs.Fredriks, a fellow nurse. Mother would know most of the details, and like a nurse treating you at the emergency room, she would be looking for the other details only I knew. I was looking out of the window at the passing lights. Australian cities were as beautiful during the day, as they were during the night. We very rarely drove at night in the country I immigrated from, it was too dangerous. Mother turned down the radio.

"I spoke to the doctor that treated the boy you got in a fight with," she said.

I was about to say 'Which one?', when I realised she only knew about the one fight. She was talking about Derrick.

"The doctor said it was one of the most serious wrist fractures he had ever seen. The boy is going to need surgery and his hand will probably never be the same again."

I smiled, I couldn't help it.

"Good."

Mother's tone changed.

"What do you mean good? You really hurt someone. Do you like hurting people?"

She was being annoying again.

"It's not my fault. He did it to himself."

"What do you mean?" she said.

"I had a textbook under my shirt, and the idiot punched it so hard he broke his hand. I had nothing to do with it. It was his own fault!"

Silence. The hum of the car was soothing my anger. Why did idiots always get the benefit of the doubt?

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know."

It was quiet for a while before she broke the silence again.

"Do you want to go to a different school?" she said.

I turned to her.

"No! Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugged, but didn't take her eyes off the road.

"Before we moved you never got into fights. Now you are always getting into incidents. I am so worried about you," she sighed, "but if you don't want to, that's fine too. You just need to communicate with me. Okay Henry?"

It was true. I had never been in three fights in a single day. Maybe the stars just aligned and I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe I was changing... but I knew one thing for certain, if I couldn't see Neris every day, I would be as good as dead.