FRACTURE

Peter’s room is neatly decorated with expensive furnishings. His soft bed is covered with even softer cushions. The dining table is neatly set with shiny glasses and plates. Beside it stands a large showcase, filled with costly decorations of every size. He had spent thirty years of his life serving as a government officer before retiring at sixty.

Now, lying on his deathbed, Peter closes his eyes. His whole life flashes before him, reminding him of how successful he became by spending almost every hour of his childhood studying, doing homework, and staying awake through the night before exams.

When he slowly opens his eyes again, everything looks blurry. His old eyes are beginning to fail him, but Peter has never accepted defeat. He looks around the room and feels a deep sense of peace. The trophies resting on the shelves, the certificates hanging proudly on the walls, each bearing his name in elegant cursive, and his whole family gathered beside him—all remind him of one thing—he had lived a perfect life.

His thoughts drift back to his school days.

He was never late for class. He always sat in the front row, took careful notes, and finished his homework with a discipline that amazed his classmates. The teachers rarely saw him without a book or a sheet of paper in his hands. Whenever he had a little free time, the other children would run outside to play, but Peter would stay behind, determined to finish the next chapter before everyone else.

His mother used to tell him, “Son, you must always get the highest marks in your class if you want to avoid punishment.”

Peter believed with all his heart that every beating by his parents was for his own good—for a brighter future. And now, after all these years, he sees those painful moments as the reason he became a successful government officer, respected and admired by so many.

After earning a perfect GPA, he was admitted to a renowned college just five kilometers from his home. Once again, he had scored higher than everyone else in his class.

At last, his mother’s dream had come true. Her son had earned the highest marks, and a place at her dream college.

Perfect Peter — 3