Once the table was sat, mother put down her China bowl that had chicken and dumplings in it along with homemade bread and butter

Mother and Father talked about Father’s work and that a promotion was to be in order

Next Friday

“Peter that’s wonderful news!, do you think that Jake And Rebecca would visit for the occasion?.” Mother beamed while scooping fathers portion of the soup

“I don’t know Sarah they currently leave in Kentucky, I’ll send a letter.” Father replied

Jake glanced over and noticed his father had a warmer expression until he read the school report cards

He congratulated Blake on perfect grades

Blake who was clearing the table put the butter bell down. He stood shoulder width apart then clasped his hands behind his back

He looked father in they eye then said

“Thank you Sir,.” Once his father acknowledged Blake, He went back to clearing the table

“Of course Blake is the perfect child.” Jake thought to himself father always praised Blake then look at me at if I was the cause of every problem

“Jake.” His father said sternly bringing him back to the present

“Yes Sir?.” He asked looking his father in the eye

“Why dose this report say you have an F or lower?”

“Because math is hard for me Sir,.”

His father looked Jake in the eyes “I expect this to be up before next week’s report.”

“Yes Sir.”

Mother laid her hand on fathers forearm

“Peter,.”

Father looked back at Jake with a less colder expression then got up from the table and went into his office

Mother looked at me with empathy

“Jake, war has been hard on your father.”

Which had always been her response as if to sum up the mistake

“It’s ok mom,” Jake said then help cleared the table

Later that night he didn’t sleep well the thoughts of the argument kept coming back to him. Like expected father was angry at me for cracking Tommy’s nose and for punishment He wasn’t able to walk to the park for a week, he was to stay inside and practice algebra until it was a hundred percent eventually he fell asleep but was awakened by his fathers voice

“I’m doing the best I can Sarah!.” His voice sounded from down stairs

Jake was curious so he snuck out into the hall crouching on the top stair careful not to make a noise

“But Peter, Jake isn’t a soldier!.” Mother reasoned sounding desperate

“He still needs to be disciplined, otherwise he will never succeed. Unlike Blake someone needs to take care of you before-“

“NO don’t say it Peter!.”

Some silence passed before mother spoke again with a trembling voice

“There won’t be any kids to look after me if you force them to, Peter, the boy’s need a father not a Brigade General.”

“So your saying you don’t want me?” Father sounded angry again

“No that’s not the point, I wouldn’t change a thing about you. But your kids aren’t in the military they don’t need to be like one either.

Discipline, and respect and honor yes those things are important in raising a child. But your going overboard with this.”

There was another pause before father spoke up

“Train your kids in the way they shall go, when they are older they will not depart from it. Yes I have been pushing hard but I don’t want our kids to fail before they start the military will do some good for Jake, I’m sending him to boarding school when Blake moves out.“

“Peter!” Mother gasped

He couldn’t bare hear anymore so he quietly ran back to his room.”father hates me yet all I want to do is make him proud I keep messing up.” Jake thought to himself

The negativity continued until he fell into a restless sleep