"How is school going, boys?" Mary asked. The family was sitting at the dinner table. Joey started to answer, but Jerry elbowed him in the stomach and glared at Mary.
"What is it?" Mary asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Joey bowed his head. Jerry continued to defiantly stare at his mother.
"Answer your mother," Joe said.
Still nothing.
"Can't you tell me what's wrong?" Mary begged.
"Nothing," Jerry said at last. "Forget it."
---
"I'm worried," Mary told Joe later that night. "I've never seen the twins act like that. Jerry's always been more on edge, but tonight even Joey seemed angry. I don't know what to make of it."
"Teenagers," Joe said. "I can relate to that. I guess you can, too."
"Yes, I can. That's what scares me. And it's even worse for them."
"I don't know," Joe answered. "At least they have each other. You had no one."
---
Tensions grew over the next few years; bad behavior, attempts to maintain discipline, angry comebacks, sulking, punishment, acting out. It came to a head one day arguing about homework.
"When are you going to do your homework?" Mary demanded.
"What do you care?" was Jerry's retort.
"I care about you. I'm your mother. I want the best for you. You won't get the best out of life if you don't give your best." No answer.
"That's it!" Mary said firmly. "I'm taking up your cell phones until that homework is done."
Jerry exploded, "You care. Ha! You care. You care so much you tried to kill us! "Mary turned white. Her face was completely drained of blood. “That’s not true!” she screamed. “...that is,...I mean…”
“You can’t deny it, can you?” Jerry was relentless. Mary began weeping uncontrollably. “I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to!” she wailed.
"Son, you don't know the stress your Mom was under. She got mixed up with some bad men -- wolves in sheeps' clothing. Men--"
"Men like you!" Jerry shouted.
"Don't say that about your father!" Now Mary was angry. "He saved you! Saved me!"
“Saved us for what -- this?” Jerry sneered. “You should have let us die!”
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