Farrow (excerpt from "Trapped--chapter three")

            The hammer came down during the first semester of high school.  There was a new school board mandate from the State.  We didn’t know about it because we didn’t care.  When the first letter came from the school, I got the mail first and simply “lost” the letter.  After all, my mother never knew about all the letters that were lost and all of the excuses my friends and I wrote for each other.  Skipping school was simply too easy.  But now, that was about to change. I went to school for a week after the first letter came thinking I’d at least put in an appearance and everything would be all right.  That was a mistake.

            Sitting in a classroom listening to a boring teacher go on and on about the importance of good grades and attendance made me want to gag.  After all, I had already proven that I was smarter than they were.  I’d gotten away with skipping school for two years.  I still can’t quite figure that out, but I did.  Now, I have to sit in this room and then the next class and the next until I could finally go home.  That lasted for about a month.  I’d go for three-four days a week and then skip the next week.  Then, a second letter came.  Unfortunately for me, it came on a day when I had actually gone to school, but my mother had the day off.  When I got home from school, she was livid!  I had never seen my mother so angry.

            “Farrow,” she said, “I got this letter today, but I don’t understand what it means.  Could you explain it to me?”  She handed me the letter.  As soon as I saw it was from the school, I knew I was in trouble.

            I read the letter and it detailed my truancy history and explained that since the last letter had been ignored, the matter was being sent to court.  “A letter from the court will be delivered to your current address within the next seven days” the letter stated.

            “I don’t know what they talking about, they…” I started to lie, but before I could finish saying anything, my mother had grabbed me by the throat and dared me to lie.  She snatched the letter of my hand with her free hand and shook it in my face so angry spittle showered me with every word.