FRACTURE

Peter is the father of two sons and one daughter. His daughter, Jasmine, sits by his legs, gently massaging them, while his eldest son, Paul, and his youngest son, Sam, stand beside the bed on which Peter lies.

Peter looks at Sam with a strange mixture of sympathy and shame. And Sam tries to look away from his father, yet every few seconds, his eyes drift back, as if only to follow the tradition. His eyes are different from everyone else’s in the room—not a single sign of tears.

Once again, Peter’s mind drifts back through the memories of his life.

Peter became the father of Paul at the age of forty. Before him lay a bright little soul with an even brighter future. Holding his baby in his arms, Peter and Julia decided that one day he would become a doctor. Somehow, they saw the signs in him. Then came the time to name the child, and Peter chose the name Paul, beginning with the same letter as his own.

Paul was an obedient son. Everything he did required his family’s permission—even sleeping alone in his own room, as it might negatively affect his studies. Peter was proud to see that his first son was growing up to be just like him—better than everybody around him.

Ten years later, Julia gave birth to an angel, their daughter, Jasmine. If something happened and Paul failed to become a doctor, Jasmine would support the family by becoming one instead. And if Paul succeeded, then there would simply be two doctors in the family. This was the future Peter had imagined for his children long before Jasmine was even born.

Jasmine became obedient too... or at least she had to.

Then, a disaster happened—although nobody realized it at first. Three years after Jasmine’s birth came a child with the most innocent face imaginable. But no one knew that he would one day destroy the family’s pride and happiness.

It was Sam.

He lived in his own little world, questioning everything around him and refusing to follow every order. Good grades were far beyond his reach. For that, he had to endure countless beatings and emotional wounds caused by Peter.

Peter simply could not understand how the smartest man in the room, a respected government officer, could have a son who could not even memorize three pages in three minutes. How could that even be possible?

Forget about three minutes—Sam could not memorize them in an entire day, especially if the subject did not interest him.

Sam loved computers. They were the only place where he felt free... and safe from his family. But the only thing Peter knew about computers was Microsoft Word, and even then, only the basic tools. So, in Peter’s mind, computers were the reason behind Sam’s shameful condition.

Peter believed that removing every computer and electronic device from the house would help Sam focus on his studies. Unfortunately, it never did. Nothing could turn Sam into the perfect student Peter had always dreamed of.

While Peter’s other two children eventually found secure careers, Sam remained an ordinary young man—still studying, still failing.

Sam could never have a normal relationship with his parents. Their beliefs, dreams, and ways of seeing the world were completely different. And when two people live under the same roof while holding entirely opposite beliefs, peace rarely lasts.

Now, as son and father look at each other, one feels anger, and the other feels shame. It is as though they both wish to get rid of each other... only in different ways.

Perfect Peter — 8