story as of now
Anguish. Despondent. Inevitable. All of these words and more associate with one thing. Death. However, for this boy, none of these words seemed fitting to his present situation.
An hour ago, his mother had kissed him gently on his forehead before departing for work. "Accomplish great things today," she whispered. The boy had been told this every day for as long as he could remember. Now, though, sitting in an uncomfortably hardwood chair in his school's office, a blur of emotions was racing through him. Confusion, for the most part. The principal had told him there was an emergency regarding his mother, but he had not elaborated. Lost in thought, a sharp voice brought him back down.
"Josh Enders, the principal will see you now," the receptionist at the desk said. Stumbling slightly as he stood up, Josh walked across the room and opened the door leading into the principal's office.
Principal Gregory Saunders was a squat, portly man. He wore the same plain white dress shirt and silk black tie. His slightly flooded khakis were always pulled up a little too high, which exposed his black knee-high socks and black loafers.
Pacing back and forth in his office, Principal Saunders was tongue-tied in his own thoughts. As he watched Josh walk in, a familiar flood of emotions came rushing back to him. He recalled being told this information earlier this morning. He had dreaded this moment. It was one thing to hear one of his student's parents was dead; having to actually tell the student was something entirely different.
"Have a seat, Mr. Enders," Saunders croaked, gesturing to a comfy-looking armchair, he couldn't speak normally for some reason. Josh obeyed, he walked across the room and plopped down in the chair.
This office was awfully foreign to Josh. He had only been in here once before, and that was two years ago, in his freshman year. He took a second to look around and examine the office.
Random sports memorabilia littered the shelves, such as hats, coffee cups, trading cards, et cetera. A masters degree from the University of Notre Dame was framed and hanging directly behind his beautiful rosewood desk.
Now Josh had heard so many different things about Principal Saunders that he didn't know what to expect. Many kids claimed he was just an asshole, however he then realized that 90% of the kids who had mentioned
this to him had mouthed off to him some way and received detention. Josh decided these probably weren't reliable sources.
In fact, Josh felt that the principal was just the opposite, even though he had barely been in his office five minutes time. No "asshole" as his fellow students had put, could have so much emotion swimming behind his eyes. Saunders' somber expression told the whole story: I care about and love my students; and this thought alone made Josh's situation worse. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother, even though he had no idea what happened yet. He wished he was anywhere but sitting in his school's principal's office.
He recalled winter nights where he and his mother had gone driving around, looking at all the Christmas lights that were up.
They had so many memories together, and yet, for some reason that one in particular jumped out. Josh had always had an infatuation with anything Christmas. He wasn't a typical kid; it wasn't about the presents for him. The decorations were the most
thrilling for him. The trees, the colored lights, the nativity sets, even the wreaths. And maybe that was why, he thought,
was the reason that distinct memory stuck out. Now he was sitting in this office, completely bemused. He braced himself for the worst.
The principal looked at Josh with sorrowful eyes.
"Josh....I don't know how to put this. I've never had to do this in my entire career and I have always dreaded it. I received a call this morning regarding your mother. It said she'd been in an accident. Apparently, there was an accident near the bridge. A car had hit a patch of black ice, slid out, and crashed through the roadside barrier. The car then slid down the hill and entered the water. The car was found and the police found out the car was registered under your mother's name. Your mother, however, was not in the vehicle. Police suspect she was washed away with the current. They searched for her and still are, but they are about to call the search off beca-"
"WHY?" Josh interrupted, full of emotion.
"Excuse me?" Saunders replied.
"Why are they calling off the search??"
"Josh, you have to understand, even if your mother did survive the impact of hitting the barrier and rolling down the hill, her chances of surviving in the river are slim to none," Principal Saunders replied, his face full of compassion.
"No, Mr. Saunders, it is you that has to understand," Josh yelled, his eyes welling with tears now, "My mother is ALL I have in this world, she IS my world. This cannot happen, it isn't possible. I can not live like this, I have no one else in this world that
cares about me," Josh countered.
Principal Saunders took a second to just look at Josh. He looked lost inside his own body. He wasn't crying, but this sight was more disheartening than crying could ever be. This was the saddest sight he had ever witnessed in his entire life. Principal Saunders was not prepared for what happened next.
"This is not happening, no. NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS!" Tears were silently streaming down Josh's face now. He got up abruptly and sprinted towards the door.
"JOSH, JOSH, STOP, COME BACK. WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" the Principal exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He ran out of his door, only to find his bewildered secretary sitting at her desk. Josh was gone.
An hour ago, his mother had kissed him gently on his forehead before departing for work. "Accomplish great things today," she whispered. The boy had been told this every day for as long as he could remember. Now, though, sitting in an uncomfortably hardwood chair in his school's office, a blur of emotions was racing through him. Confusion, for the most part. The principal had told him there was an emergency regarding his mother, but he had not elaborated. Lost in thought, a sharp voice brought him back down.
"Josh Enders, the principal will see you now," the receptionist at the desk said. Stumbling slightly as he stood up, Josh walked across the room and opened the door leading into the principal's office.
Principal Gregory Saunders was a squat, portly man. He wore the same plain white dress shirt and silk black tie. His slightly flooded khakis were always pulled up a little too high, which exposed his black knee-high socks and black loafers.
Pacing back and forth in his office, Principal Saunders was tongue-tied in his own thoughts. As he watched Josh walk in, a familiar flood of emotions came rushing back to him. He recalled being told this information earlier this morning. He had dreaded this moment. It was one thing to hear one of his student's parents was dead; having to actually tell the student was something entirely different.
"Have a seat, Mr. Enders," Saunders croaked, gesturing to a comfy-looking armchair, he couldn't speak normally for some reason. Josh obeyed, he walked across the room and plopped down in the chair.
This office was awfully foreign to Josh. He had only been in here once before, and that was two years ago, in his freshman year. He took a second to look around and examine the office.
Random sports memorabilia littered the shelves, such as hats, coffee cups, trading cards, et cetera. A masters degree from the University of Notre Dame was framed and hanging directly behind his beautiful rosewood desk.
Now Josh had heard so many different things about Principal Saunders that he didn't know what to expect. Many kids claimed he was just an asshole, however he then realized that 90% of the kids who had mentioned
this to him had mouthed off to him some way and received detention. Josh decided these probably weren't reliable sources.
In fact, Josh felt that the principal was just the opposite, even though he had barely been in his office five minutes time. No "asshole" as his fellow students had put, could have so much emotion swimming behind his eyes. Saunders' somber expression told the whole story: I care about and love my students; and this thought alone made Josh's situation worse. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother, even though he had no idea what happened yet. He wished he was anywhere but sitting in his school's principal's office.
He recalled winter nights where he and his mother had gone driving around, looking at all the Christmas lights that were up.
They had so many memories together, and yet, for some reason that one in particular jumped out. Josh had always had an infatuation with anything Christmas. He wasn't a typical kid; it wasn't about the presents for him. The decorations were the most
thrilling for him. The trees, the colored lights, the nativity sets, even the wreaths. And maybe that was why, he thought,
was the reason that distinct memory stuck out. Now he was sitting in this office, completely bemused. He braced himself for the worst.
The principal looked at Josh with sorrowful eyes.
"Josh....I don't know how to put this. I've never had to do this in my entire career and I have always dreaded it. I received a call this morning regarding your mother. It said she'd been in an accident. Apparently, there was an accident near the bridge. A car had hit a patch of black ice, slid out, and crashed through the roadside barrier. The car then slid down the hill and entered the water. The car was found and the police found out the car was registered under your mother's name. Your mother, however, was not in the vehicle. Police suspect she was washed away with the current. They searched for her and still are, but they are about to call the search off beca-"
"WHY?" Josh interrupted, full of emotion.
"Excuse me?" Saunders replied.
"Why are they calling off the search??"
"Josh, you have to understand, even if your mother did survive the impact of hitting the barrier and rolling down the hill, her chances of surviving in the river are slim to none," Principal Saunders replied, his face full of compassion.
"No, Mr. Saunders, it is you that has to understand," Josh yelled, his eyes welling with tears now, "My mother is ALL I have in this world, she IS my world. This cannot happen, it isn't possible. I can not live like this, I have no one else in this world that
cares about me," Josh countered.
Principal Saunders took a second to just look at Josh. He looked lost inside his own body. He wasn't crying, but this sight was more disheartening than crying could ever be. This was the saddest sight he had ever witnessed in his entire life. Principal Saunders was not prepared for what happened next.
"This is not happening, no. NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS!" Tears were silently streaming down Josh's face now. He got up abruptly and sprinted towards the door.
"JOSH, JOSH, STOP, COME BACK. WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" the Principal exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He ran out of his door, only to find his bewildered secretary sitting at her desk. Josh was gone.