You Decide…
Scene 1
JIM: (Hollers to Harry from the front door) Harry, could you come on out here and help me give this truck an oil change?
HARRY: (sighs and puts down his pen and walks over to the garage) Dad, I’m finishing up a ton of homework I have due tomorrow. Can I help you afterwards?
JIM: (bitterly) Argh, never mind I’ll do it myself. I don’t see why you’re so worried about that school stuff, Harry.
HARRY: (after hearing the same words over and over from his father, Harry finally speaks up) I’m worried about it because I want to finish school already, I want my diploma in my hands so I can finally move on to college to better myself, dad. But it seems like all you want me to do is to keep running this car shop. That’s nowhere near what I want for myself…
Jim gives Harry a long glare and barges out the front door, slamming it loudly behind him. Harry then starts to pack up his schoolwork and grabs his car keys. He was tired of the constant fights with his dad. He wanted to drive somewhere far quieter than his house, plus he felt the need to get away for a few hours.
HARRY: (to the woman working at the café he found a few minutes from his house) May I just get a small coffee please. (Harry grabs his coffee and finds a booth near the window; he sits down to finish up most of his work in peace. Hours pass by and he doesn’t realize until he glances up from his laptop and finds that it was already dark out. He then starts to pack up his things and make his way home.)
HARRY: (arriving at the front door of his house, Harry gets out his keys only to find that door was unlocked.) inner monologue: That’s weird, dad usually locks everything up once it starts to get dark out.
JIM: (hearing his son’s keys at the door, he hollers to him from his bedroom) Harry! Please come, call an ambulance! Harry!
HARRY: What? What happened?! Are you alright? (Obvious worried tone in his voice)
JIM: (In immense pain while grunting) I stubbed my toe on the edge of my headboard and fell over. I somehow managed to stretch my leg out in a weird position to catch my fall and fell right on top of it with all my weight, I think it’s broken, son.
Harry then runs to grab the phone and dials for ambulance to come immediately. Then rushes back over to his dad.
HARRY: Oh gosh dad, I already called for an ambulance to come they’ll be here in 5. I’m so sorry I left the house Dad. I should have stayed here knowing that you have to take that cane everywhere you walk. I feel horrible.
JIM: Now, I have a few things to say to you about what happened earlier (still grunting in pain) but don’t you worry about that right now. Right now all I want is for a doctor to look at my leg and get it fixed up. Are they here yet, Harry?
Harry gets up and runs outside; he sees the ambulance lights from up the road and waits for them to pull up, motioning them to come in his direction.
Scene 2
Later that night in the hospital, Jim lays in bed asleep while Harry is by his side. Jim then wakes up.
HARRY: Dad, how are you feeling?
JIM: Ugh, I’m alright, just wish I wasn’t such a klutz.
HARRY: I’m sorry I left in such a rush earlier I just…
Harry is suddenly interrupted by his father.
JIM: Now you hush you’re mouth, you had every right to storm out the way you did. While you were gone I figured I had been doing something wrong. You deserve to live your life the way you want it. Not have someone else decide your future for you. You’re a bright young man and I see you have amazing potential. I guess it just pains me to know that my old shop won’t be running forever, yet that’s nothing compared to knowing that my son will be a happy man one day. So no, not you, but I apologize. As a matter a fact, all the money that I have saved up from the shop is going to go towards your college tuition. Now it’s not much but I think it’ll help, son. I want you to be happy. Always.
Harry looks at his father with a big bright smile. All this time, all he wanted was for his father to understand what he wanted in life. What his father did just now made Harry feel so overwhelmed in happiness, he had tears welling up in his eyes.
Harry then gets up from his seat and embraces his father in a hug.
The End