Appearances appearances. What is beneath?

As he shouts at his sister with pure anger, I tell him to go to his room. “Calm down, your sister didn’t do anything!”

You don’t understand mom, he tells me.

“I do understand. You’re being mean and being a bully. Stop it.”

Okay, fine. He tells me.  I’ll draw it for you so you understand better.

 

Frame 1 – mamma’s thinking about a baby.

Frame 2 – Mamma has a baby, grows devil horns and kicks son out of space.

Frame 3 – Son waves his arms at devil mom and sister “Hey guys, I exist too!”

He feels excluded, since his sister was born. I breathe deeply. I’m so proud he is so good at expressing himself. Did reading ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ help him come to the conclusion that reverse art therapy would work on his mom?

Thanks for telling me. I understand now, I tell him. I promise I will make the effort to spend more one-on-one time with him. His sister, in grade 1, needy and sometimes clingy has been getting a bigger chunk of mamma’s time.

I met him at school and took him out for lunch today – just him.  He was beaming for the entire hour. I tell him I will do it once a month.

I hope I do.

The reference to Cain and Abel? His grandmother doesn’t buy the picture for a second. She thinks his jealousy needs to be stomped out before he acts out on his sister.

Despite the mean things he says to his sister, I’m pretty sure he loves her.

Evidence (hopefully) to come.