Everyone Is Looking At Me Strangely

Atonement

                         Chapter 4

(Sonia Curlington's POV)

I am Sonia Curlington,
Mother of Blake Curlington...
No... I think I lost that right even before I lost him, even My Husband Johnny admits it....I can't even remember the last time that I acted the way a mother should to his child....
All I ever did was the opposite....

Even back when he was in elementary I didn't care nor even trust my own son...

He was accused of stealing from his classmates, But instead of protecting him I....

"I offer my apologies for the deeds of my son,
Blake, Apologize to them now!" I shouted at him even though he was but a tiny kid....

"But....Mom! I didn't do anything!
Someone must have did it but it's not me!!!!" Blake with tears in his eyes believing that his mother will protect him but....

"Don't lie! Just apologize and it's done! Now say sorry!" I said that to Blake,Pressuring him to say sorry and he did just that...

"I'm sorry.... I won't do it again" Blake without someone protecting him became hopeless and did what his mother asked of him...

"I again apologize for the misconduct of 'him' "

But the truth of what happened came to light at the graduation where the real culprit was known and Blake was in the top of his class!

Instead of apologising to my son for my mistake and congratulating him I did the most stupidest thing....

"Why would I congratulate you? It's only natural because you're my son."

After the graduation I made Blake do chores from here on out....

And things just went downhill from there....

In High school, Blake became the laughing stock and bullied by all the students in that school because of what he did before yet it escalated because of a certain incident that he was not  again the culprit.....

After that Blake cried almost nonstop whenever he is home or when going to sleep even when doing the chores, at this point he stops talking to us....
So instead of comforting him like a normal mother would do I.....

"His crying is annoying, Let's install soundproofed walls so that we can't hear it anymore"
I mercilessly said that to my husband and he agreed to install it....During those times
Blake's only companion is a game console with only one game in it....

After that point, my guts knew,but I ignored it, I broke him....
I broke my dear Blake....

He is still the top of his class but he became distant, emotionless, but still kind to others even though he still gets bullied wherever he goes in the school....

Then came the Highschool graduation ceremony
I don't know much about that event because
Me and Johnny didn't attend to it... We felt that  he doesn't deserve our time.....

He is in the top of his class and the ones who placed the medal on him was... himself...

The teachers are avoiding him because of the rumors about him....and left him to place his medal on his own... Not just them who avoided him... But also us his own parents....

Many years have come by and Blake has finished college and is about to start his own life... But then Me and Johnny got sick... Even though we did terrible things to him... He stayed and cared for us with tender loving care.Just after we got cured only then did we realize...

How did he became like this?
So warm and loving....
The world was against him.....
Yet he remained kind even though his broken...
He had to mature... Too fast and too soon....

Me and Johnny talked about it and decided to mend our relationship with Blake even if it's too late.... Even if he hates us...

But fate is such a cruel mistress and the real tragedy struck.....

The school that Blake attended has posted a notice on their social media about a reunion of the old students and decided to notify him because he doesn't have a phone of his own....

This was our time to protect him!
Even if it's too late...
So we planned that we will invite Blake with us on the reunion and eat to a restaurant soon after....

But that never happened because.....

After the incident, Only Blake is the casualty....

As he reached out his two hands Me and Johnny
held both of them.... He smiled and said...
"I did a good job right?" As his body gave up...

Those words will hunt me and my husband for the rest of my life... But 'that' lady managed to discover a mechanism that can go back in time with our memories complete...
She allowed us to use it and to others too....

As we prepare for the travel we visited Blake's room for one last time....I tried the game on his console to see what it is and it caused me to cry more....

"You did great! Good job!
You're a hero!"
The game with the poor graphics says that repeatedly as this was the ending of it....

All he ever wanted was to be praised and loved...
Don't worry! It may not be the Blake from now but we will still try to fix what we did in the past...

Please Sonia! Don't mess this second chance up! These are her final thoughts as she and Johnny travelled back to the past....