Aaron’s Vacation

Aaron awoke to the beeping of his alarm. With a groan he rolled over and saw that it was seven in the morning. Gut wrenching, Aaron thought about the English test he had later that day. Due to his constant habit of procrastinating, he didn’t even open his book to study the previous night. So, ten minutes later, when his mom came in to make sure he was awake, he could be seen clutching his stomach, whining about how much it hurt. “I don’t think I am going to be able to go to school today”, he informed his mom. Aaron’s mother gazed upon her only child with a concerned look. She replied, “If its that bad then it is probably best that you stay home.”

            As his mother was leaving the room Aaron ducked back under the covers in an attempt to hide his smile. Aaron felt the weight of the world being lifted off his shoulders when he found out he would no longer have to take his English test. Less than thirty minutes later he heard the front door slam shut. Aaron knew this meant that his mom had left for work, and he was officially home alone. Fleeing from his room, Aaron raced down the stairs and to the kitchen. He poured himself some cereal and added in some milk. After he finished his breakfast, he realized that he didn’t have anything to do all day. He imagined himself sitting on the couch and watching television all day. He knew that he couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste. He had an entire day off and he was going to put it to use.

            Feeling rebellious, Aaron grabbed the keys to his dad’s Corvette. Aaron’s dad was super strict – always yelling at Aaron anytime he would make a miniscule mistake. If his dad ever found out he even touched this car, he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the house for the rest of his natural life. Nonetheless, he sat down in the car and felt the softness of the leather seats. He pressed his foot against the brake and started the car. The engine roared to life, and he slowly pulled out of the garage and into the street.

            Heading into the city, Aaron knew he had to make the most of his day. So, he made his way to Wrigley Stadium. As he drove through downtown Chicago, he saw waves of Cubs fans heading to the game. He found a parking spot and made his way into the stadium. As he exited the tunnel to the stands, he stopped to take a look around. It was a beautiful sunny day and the sun shined down onto the field. The grass was mowed in perfect strips and the players were just taking the field. Aaron took his seat and prepared to watch the game.

            After the Cubs recorded the final out, Aaron decided to head back home. He got back in the Corvette and started pulling out of the parking lot. All of a sudden, Aaron heard a loud Crunch. He scrambled out of the car in a fit of panic. When he examined the damage, he discovered a huge dent it the rear bumper. “My dad is going to kill me”, Aaron nervously muttered.

            As he raced back to make it home before his parents, Aaron was losing it. His mind was racing thinking of millions of different ways this scenario could play out. He pulled into the driveway and exited the car. Once again looking at the dent, it felt as if the world was ending.

            Aaron sat on the front porch waiting for his dad to get home. As the sun set the sky was painted pink. Aaron sat there contemplating the best way to break the news. He was distracted from his thoughts when headlights flashed in his face. His dad was home. Aaron’s heart was beating out of his chest as he approached his dad.

 “Dad there’s something I have to tell you”, he said, “I got into the accident with the Corvette.” For a moment, his dad didn’t say anything. Aaron stood by anxiously as his dad went to assess the damage. As Aaron’s dad opened his mouth to speak, Aaron was trying to predict the length of his grounding.

“I thought you were home sick today”, said Aaron’s dad. This confused Aaron. He thought that his dad was going chew him out for even touching the car. That’s when he realized, all this time, he thought that his dad hated him and was mean to him, but in reality, it was the opposite. Aaron’s dad only ever wanted what was best for his son.

“Yes, but I started feeling a lot better”, replied Aaron. His dad looked at him suspiciously but decided to let it slide. Later, Aaron went back up to his room. In his room he thought about how all those times he thought his dad was being tough on him, all his dad really ever wanted was what was best for him.