Changes through age

<Edwin's POV>

Edwin - 8 years old.

Yesterday, my mom said some mean things to me, but she apologized for it first thing in the morning. I don't know how I feel about this. Should I forgive her? But when I saw her this morning, I felt a very different feeling than what I would normally feel towards her. I can't put my finger on it.

Edwin kept contemplating trying to understand his emotions. It was an enlightening experience for him. He clearly understood how people can speak words out of desperation that they normally would never, also how they would react because of their guilt.

Though it's not the first time mom scolded me, this time was the worst. But she made me my favorite meat balls though, I should just forgive her!

Or I could use the same method she uses against dad to get more from her.

'hehe' laughing inwardly, Edwin went to school.

Edwin -9 years old

Yesterday my parents fought again. My dad lied through his teeth about some money which seemed to have been withdrawn. But my mom didn't let him go as they argued about it for the whole evening.

Unsurprisingly, my dad came up with excuses, so many that I can't even understand many of them. I was almost fooled by what he said, believing it was true, only to understand the traps after hearing the 'counter-attack specialist' mom's rebukes.

I stopped trying to get involved in their fights after that incident. In fact, they themselves advised me that I shouldn't get involved if they ever fight between them. I mean,

'All you ever do is fight though.'

Anyway, because of their fight, they forgot about me. And I was able to play and watch TV the whole time. As I was chatting with his friends about yesterday's show, no, I was bragging, since I saw the whole show unlike my friends.

The teacher asked them to submit their homework. Only then did it hit me. In the excitement of watching shows and playing, I completely forgot about homework. Yesterday there was only one and I still forgot about it.

The teacher was checking homework one by one. Edwin was sitting in a middle row. When she saw me not doing anything but still searching. She asked,

"Edwin, where's your homework?"

My heart was thumping, it was actually my first time not doing homework without a valid reason. In the end, I gave a 'textbook reply'.

" I-I left the homework note at my house."

"...."

"Is that so? It's your first time, so I will let you get away. Tomorrow you should bring it, OK?"

"Yes Miss.." I said excitedly.

"Sit"

Then she went to other desks to check. I tried calming down my raging heart.

'It was close'

While I was feeling relief, one of my friends who also didn't do homework as always, was being scolded. But unlike other times, he now turned to me and shouted,

"Miss, he also didn't do homework. In fact, before you started checking, he was talking about the show he was watching yesterday, yet to leave him and blame me..."

Edwin's face darkened at his friend's betrayal.

"Oh, cut it out. He did his homework every day with the only exception being today, unlike someone who claims to have done his homework but 'forgot' to bring it to school, atleast thrice a week." But the teacher cut him down mercilessly.

That day, I lost a friend but gained an understanding of the art of lying and involvement of trust in it.

'Why did the teacher scold him but support me? She bought my lie? No! Even, I wouldn't believe such a blatant one. Then, was it because I rarely make mistakes and she didn't want to be overbearing. If so, then should one create trust inbetween them strong enough beforehand if they want they want the other to buy or ignore their lies?'

My thoughts were disarray, I didn't even bother to look at my friend who was now trying to make up. My thoughts were roaming around, especially remembering my father's lies yesterday, amusing how diverse and complicated they were.

Edwin - 10 years old

Today I encountered an embarrassing incident. The dog I've been raising for around half a decade, Jackie is actually a female. I just named him.. no her like that a few years back because I wasn't aware.

My parents, who didn't utter a word about it all that time. Today, they laughed their asses off when I told them what I had found.

'Aarghhh'

Anyway, we renamed him...her 'Mayuri'.

Edwin - 13 years old

This morning my mom was bickering about how no one is helping her with house chores, so I decided to lend a hand. There was this glass bowl in which she poured water and flowers as a means of prayer. It was dirty since those flowers had withered, it's obvious they hadn't been replaced in like a week.

I decided to clean it but when I picked up the bowl, the lower part of the bowl broke apart and fell down. My mom, alerted due to the sound, dashed out and saw it. She didn't even bother to ask me what happened. She started scolding me for giving her more work even while I was apologizing.

'I don't even know why I was apologizing, it's not like it's my fault.'

Then I went to school and it only got worse. There was a fight that broke out in the afternoon in my class. I wasn't even involved verbally in that fight, yet the teacher claimed he caught me 'red-handed' as I was near the fight. I mean,

'They fought near my place and not the other way around, but that shit headed Lolicon didn't even understand that.'

He just heard some girls screaming 'oh my god' 'STOP' during the fight and started acting the hero. It wasn't my first time being blamed for something I didn't do, even at school. But previous times when it happened, I just let it go thinking they would understand it was their own mistake because of my 'main character syndrome' only to be slapped in the face by my own parents who didn't even ask for an explanation. The parents I thought truly understood me, the ones who bought me my favorites without even needing to ask to believe in the report of a new teacher at school rather than me, their own child.

So this time I argued to the best of my ability, trying to prove my innocence. But it seemed to have hurt their pride and a challenge to their authority. They punished me for it by making me run 3 laps around as they insulted me before my whole class for being a liar, violent and manipulative.

" See, this is an example for all of you. Look at him(Edwin), he used to be such a good child, but now he has become like that. Don't be like him and behave yourselves." The H.M. advised.

None of the teachers I have known from childhood are now teaching me. Most are new with whom I have no bond whatsoever. The lolicon simp standing there started to showoff inbetween aswell,

"Yeah. Like the H.M. said, look at them and learn not to follow their path."

'Amusing, even in this situation he didn't fail to bootlick the H.M.'

'What's funnier is that the main culprit was actually a pet to a teacher, and she requested the H.M. to let him go because he is likely innocent, and surely they let 'his petness' go since they can't punish the 'innocent' after all.' I thought.

But did they stop it at that? They sent a mail to my parents regarding this. And surely my parents loved to 'discipline' me.

'It was hell, being punished and insulted for mistakes one didn't commit. Even if not the worst, at least, this is one of the irritating experiences that one can go through.'

'I didn't argue. They thought of me as a pushover and dumped me with all the issues and blames. I argued for myself, and they coined me as rebellious and a liar.'

'I don't know, this is not the first time. Surely it won't be the last. If I remain the same, these guys just step over me again and again.'

'Should I just switch schools?'

...

From that day forth, Edwin's way of thinking and the way he viewed people and the world started to morph. It wasn't motivation but rather a desire, a desire set ablaze in his heart. He started to study hard, involved himself in sports, improved his communication. As he immersed himself in the process to be better, unknowing to him, he slowly started to become the kind of person he despised.

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