DEALING WITH THE STALKER

FINAL YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, PREPARATION FOR UNIVERSITY....

She bit on her pen and took a deep breath. This is going to be a tough nut to crack. She glanced a second time at the career slip in her hands.

"Shit." She muttered wearily. "Can I really pull this off? " She muttered.

" Pull what off? " Her mom said as she came to view with a jar of lemon juice in her hand. " Have you finally chosen a career yet?"

Rose sighed. Why does this woman have to be watching her every move? "I.. I.... I..."

Evelyn squinted her eyes suspiciously at her daughter. " What are you up to?"

Rose bit her lip. "I need more time to think about this."

Evelyn scoffed. "More time for what? It's easy. Just pick the goddamn chemical engineering. That's a very wide, vast, profitable course. It will fetch us millions if you major in it and come out good. "

Rose looked at her mom one sided as she ranted on about the advantages of being a chemical engineer. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I still need more time to think about this." She muttered and dropped the paper back into her backpack..

Evelyn frowned at her. " You've had the opportunity of three weeks, Rose. What the hell are you still waiting for? Don't tell me you are still thinking of music."

Rose scoffed. " This is my life mom. It's mine not yours. You have no right to dictate this for me. I need more time..... "

" You have had more than enough time to think about this Rose. It's either chemical engineering or nothing else. What do you know? We as your parents are doing our best to tell you what's best for your life and future, yet you keep aiming at joblessness. You wanna join those gangs that pierce rings all over their faces and paint their skins?"

" Jeez mom, I never said I was gonna do that..... "

" It's final Rose. Chemical engineering or nothing else. In fact, wait till your dad returns from work. I think we both have given you enough time. This issue has to be sorted out before things get out of hand. " She said and stormed out of her study.

Rose watched her leave and sighed. She tapped her pen thoughtfully on the study table. "This is frustrating." She muttered and laid her head on the table. "How the hell I'm I supposed to give up on my dream?" She muttered.

★★★★★

Afternoon turned to evening and evening turned to night. Rose sat in her study snoring lightly against her table.

Evelyn walked in and spotted her. She sighed and shook her slightly. Rose jerked and looked around.

"Get up sleepyhead. Your dad's back. He requests to meet with you." Evelyn said and left.

Rose groaned and stretched. "What now?" She mumbled and later left the study walking straight to the sitting room where the stern, frightening man in his forties sat typing speedily into a laptop on his lap.

"Good evening dad." Rose said and he nodded with his attention on the laptop. "Rose bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. She didn't know if she should sit or stand.

You see, that has been the issue between her and her father. She never seemed to understand him and he never seemed to understand her. He's a stern man who had spent 80% of his life living it the hard way and that had psychologically affected the way he does and perceives things around him.

For about a complete fifteen minutes, her father, Richard paid no single attention to her but on his laptop. Rose knew better not to leave if she didn't want to incur his wrath. Although, she was already beginning to get really impatient. She gritted her teeth.

Evelyn sat in a separate sofa not even bothering a single dime about whatever was going on between them.

After what seemed like a millennial to Rose, her dad finally took his attention from his laptop and adjusted his spectacles peering at her with deep scrutiny. It gave Rose the creeps.

"I got news that you are still having a hard time choosing a career after three weeks of receiving the career slip. Is that true?" He began.

Rose scoffed and chuckled silently. Of course. Her mom spilled the beans. She sighed and nodded.

He sighed. "Well. I really don't see any confusion in that. Since you are having a hard time deciding that, I think it's high time I stepped in. I don't want to talk about this too much. I think I've given you enough time. Just pick the best available option set before you."

Rose gulped. " Which is?" She asked.

" Chemical engineering....."

Rose scoffed and looked away before he could complete his sentence. He glanced at her. "Do you have any other course in mind? You've seemed confused about that."

Rose's heart thumped hard. She knew what was coming next if she dared speak her mind. She took a deep breath. "I'll handle the situation, dad. It's not like I have limited time to make my decision. I've got all the time in the world. I'll handle this....."

" That wasn't the question I asked you. I asked what other course you have in mind." Richard stated giving her a stern look.

Rose shivered. She wasn't ready at all at the moment for his violent outbursts. "I have nothing in mind yet, dad. I'm taking my time to proceed with this. This is all about my life. I don't want to make mistakes."

" Chemical engineering is never a mistake, Rose!!" He thundered.

" Yes dad. I totally agree with you. It's not and can never be a mistake but it might not be what's right for me."

Richard glared at her. " What vile nonsense are you spitting out of that filthy mouth of yours? What do you mean it might not be what's good for you?"

Rose gulped. She's messed it up. " I'm sorry to say that dad. I didn't mean to say that. All I was saying was....."

" You have nothing reasonable to say, Rose. My decision is final. You have no other course to study except chemical engineering. Take it or leave it. You don't have the slightest inkling of the advantage you have to have parents to guide you on the right track in life. Most of your colleagues don't have this opportunity. They are praying for it. Yet you act like some crazily misguided fellow. My decision has been made. You are definitely going to NYU to study chemical engineering. Failure to comply with that, I never knew you as my daughter." He thundered and left the sitting room with his laptop.

Rose broke down and slumped back into the nearest sofa. That was her life going shipwreck a few seconds ago. She wept and Evelyn glanced at her with a scoff. She got up and later left.

Rose wept the more. This was all too tiring for her. Why would they even want to have the authority to decide her future for her? None of them understands her. They don't just get it.

She didn't just want to study for studying sake. She wanted to study to live off her passion, her gift. That which she had loved ever since she was in kindergarten. That which took away her worries and...

She angrily stomped towards her room and began tossing things around. She picked up her lyrics notebook and furiously tore it to shreds. Why is life just being so unfair to her? Why are both her parents being so unfair to her?