Moving On

The children grew up knowing
their schooling was expected
to lead to paid employment
promptly. Their father expounded
this at the dinner table each
night that he was there – which was
erratic as he preferred the
after work company of his
drinking mates at the pub.

Their mother doing her expected
duty attended parent teacher meetings.
On advice received the mother
guided the children to university
to be funded by bursaries,
by holiday and part time work.
The mother had not been allowed
to attend university herself and
was glad her children were to attend.

Too late the father saw that
his children were moving ahead
of him in the job stakes !
He raged at them over the dinner
table each night, denouncing
lazy worthless students.
His children worked hard,
passed their exams, then took
his nightly tirades to heart,
removed themselves from
his home.

The mother was upset.

The father was puzzled.

The nest was empty.