• “No going any where!” Tina’s mom shouted as she came out of the kitchen.


    “Why not? Am I irresponsible or stupid?” Tina yelled back.

    “You are too young to go dating.”

    Tina’s mom turned away from her and walked back into the kitchen. Tina was never able to get along with her parents. Part of her wanted to get along with them but the other part didn’t. For Tina, her parents were old-fashioned. They were in their late 50s and old. Her house looked quaint with bright yellow lamps and a couch covered in clear plastic. They lived as if everything was left the way it was back then.

    Her mother stayed at home and did the cooking and the cleaning while her father taught at the university. There wasn’t anything exciting about either of her parents. Tina was upset for she wanted to go partying, dating, driving, and thinking seriously about her future. And now, she wanted to go out with someone she really liked.

    She ran to her room and shut the door. She flopped down on her bed and squeezed her light blue pillow, which had been through many squeezes and tears. She wondered why her parents were so hard on her. Her best friend Richa had been dating since she was 14. But no matter how good she was or how hard she tried, her parents still treated her like a child.

    Usually, Tina would argue for a while but eventually give up. But this time, she had made up her mind that she was going to go dating no matter what. It was two days away. Tina thought of how much fun they would have at the movie - she thought of Sam, his smile, his jokes, and …. She liked him and wasn’t about to let go of that to satisfy her parents.

    Tina’s thoughts were disrupted by the telephone. She ran to pick it up. “Hello?” Tina answered. “Hi,” replied Sam.

    “Guess what, I had an argument with my mom but I’ll deal,” she responded.

    “What was it about?”

    “Nothing serious.” She didn’t like explaining her problems with her parents. She quickly changed the subject. “So are we going to the movie on Saturday?”

    “Yes, did you ask your parents?” Sam asked.

    “Yes and they said it was fine,” Tina lied.

    Tina’s parents called her to their room. She felt her fingers clenching again. This was never good. “Your father and I both agree that you can go with Sam if you take Richa along.”

    Tina did not have that in mind at all. She figured the easiest way out of this one would be to lie to her parents. “Ok, I’ll call Richa and Pamela to come with me,” she said. She had no intention of doing that and went to bed. It was Thursday and Tina and Sam were going to school together.


    “I was wondering if I could pick you up,” asked Sam.


    “Why?” Tina asked at a loss for words.


    “Because I want to meet your parents,” said Sam.


    Tina stopped walking. She couldn’t let him do that; she knew it wouldn’t go well. But she didn’t want to say no to him. She wished that when Sam came that Saturday, her parents would invite him in and tell him it was nice meeting him. She had seen it in movies. If only her parents could be like that.


    “Cool, how about at 7pm,” she told him and left.


    Saturday came quickly and Tina was excited and nervous about her first date.


    “Mom, Dad…. Sam is coming to pick me up,” Tina said confidently. Her parents said nothing and looked at each other.

    The doorbell rang. Tina raced to answer the door before her parents could. She could hear the sound of her parent’s feet walking towards her. She didn’t turn around to see them but she sensed them so well that she knew the exact expressions on their faces.

    “Uncle, I’m Sam,” Sam smiled at Tina’s parents. He put his hand out to shake her father’s hand. Tina didn’t turn to see if her father actually shook it.


    Tina took Sam’s hand and they walked to the car without glancing once at her parents. Her parents stood there looking at Sam without a smile or a frown. It wasn’t just right. She had expected this but it would not be allowed. Tina knew the consequences that would come when she got home. Right now, she had a date with a great guy and she wasn’t going to let her parents ruin it.

    She took Sam’s hand and they walked to the car. Tina could see her parents through the corner of her eye as they stared at their daughter’s hand slip into Sam’s.


    They drove off down the drive into the Saturday traffic. A cool breeze was blowing and Tina felt as if she were living a dream. She snuggled closer to Sam and he too moved towards her. For sometime, Sam forgot all about controlling the car as he got busy fondling her.

    All of a sudden the love dovey couple heard a screech and a bang!!!!!!!! Their car had rammed into a truck, which had turned into the main road from a side lane. Tina’s head banged against the headrest and as for Sam, she didn’t know what was happening. She felt as if she would die of pain. “My head, my head……..Sam where are you??”


    She lost consciousness. The sound of sirens woke her up. She felt herself being carried in a stretcher. There were many people around her. She turned her head and lo! What did she see. Sam’s mangled body was being taken out of the car.


    “God, what have I done,” wept Tina. But it was too late. If only she had listened to her mother and not ventured out, if only she hadn’t been carried away, if only she hadn’t taken her attention away from the roads………………so many ifs and buts.


    So what happened to Tina? She had to be in hospital for three months as her neck had been badly hurt. As for Sam, he never made it. Tina parents stood by her and helped her recover but the guilt pangs are yet to leave her. Every time Tina closes her eyes, she is reminded of the accident.


    THE END!!