SUPREME VISION SYSTEM

"I..m so so sorry for it, honey. I never meant for you to find it out this way. I just did not know what to do...I tried to find jobs..decent one but they do not land you one with just a high school degree these days...and I needed that money so I gave in to Jeffrey's offer." Ivory elaborated, squeezing her son's hand. 

"I get it...I get it, mother. You do not have to explain it to me. " Cole nodded.

"I know how hard it must be for you to cope up in school with those rich kids with their reputed parents and the fact that your mother works in a strip club must have caused a lot of things to happen to you..."

"No...no mom....nothing happened. I m alright. It was just a one-time thing. " Cole stopped her from speaking.

He did not want to make her feel so low of herself. She was already feeling so low about herself from the start and now he did not want to add up reasons for her to feel worst about her.

"I know if you...if you would not like to stay with me anymore and wish to move in with your father..." 

Ivory looked down as sadness engulfed her. Before Cole was a little boy when they separated and even when they shared his custody, she got to raise him unlike Gerald who tried to take their son away from her though but the job that needed him on stage made the judge give her the green signal to raise her son.

Now that she had totally failed in being a good mother, a good parent that attended to all his needs but all she let him see was shortages, poverty, and not the high classic life he deserved. He perhaps would want to now go away and stay with his father.

"No...mother. Why would you even think that way? Where did you even get that idea? " 

Cole shrieked in shock for his mother having or possessing such dreadful ideas or notions about him. He would die but never chose to get to a person who wanted nothing to do with him and his mother.

"I m sorry son. I failed you in all the ways." Ivory could not stop her tears anymore.

Finally, she was letting out how she felt inside...how much she felt like a loser every day when she always tried to be perfect and give a hundred percent but would always end up doing it all worst, ruining it all and causing misery to herself and her son too.

"You did not fail me, mother. You are the best parent out there. Never giving up, doing everything for her son. " Cole held her jaw to look at him.

"I m sorry that I do not say this much. I do not praise you enough for your hard work. I m sorry that I do not speak much these days..." Cole tried to explain.

"I know it happens when you turn teenager.." His mother cut him short.

"Oh! Then you know everything mother?" Cole chuckled, trying to ease the mood.

His mother just giggled, with her block nose after lots of crying. She engulfed her son in a big hug, mouthing how much she loved him and Cole did the same.

Moments later it was time to leave the hospital and head back home. Ivory packed her bags with the medical reports of Cole. She double-checked if they left anything and then went back to help her son stand up with her support.

"Mom, I can handle it. I have not broken my legs or something. " Cole snorted and stood up.

He was already dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt. Mr.Evans bought his casual clothes and in the meantime, he was waiting outside in his car to take them home. His mother warned him to behave nicely towards Mr.Evans.

"You know we could have just booked an Uber. Why did he have to come? Did you give him a call?" Cole asked the last question suspiciously.

"What no? Why would I? He already bought your clothes even before I could ask and now he is waiting outside, let's not make the man feel unwelcomed. " Ivory stated sternly.

Cole groaned, "Fine. But I cannot promise to be too much nicer. " 

"You do not have to either. Just keep your mouth shut if you have nothing good to say." His mother pointed out. 

When they were ready, Ivory held her son's hand as they together stepped out of the nursing room. Ivory remembered the day, ...yesterday how horrified she was when he was admitted there, afraid that something serious had happened to her son. 

The nurse handed them the discharge paper with the bill payment card. Mr. Evans had already paid for it and there was nothing more they could say other than noting in their mind to return every penny back to him on time. They did not want to be in anyone's debt.

Cole decided to work even though his mother would not like the idea of that but it was needed for their survival. He would persuade her to let him join the public school and drop out of that fancy high school. Education was the same everywhere anyway. What difference would it make if he studied in the public school or the fancy one where his father admitted him. It would make no danger difference.

Mr.Evans smiled when he saw the mother and son walking out of the hospital with the bags. He quickly went towards them and stopped in front when they saw him.

"Mr.Evans..." His mother called out.

"Ivory..." Mr.Evans nodded his head to her. "Cole...I see you are back in form." He rubbed Cole's back.

Cole did not say anything because he knew all he would say first was to stop hitting on his mother. Goddamn! He even called her by her first name. How dare he? Did his mother allow him to let him call her by her first name? 

If not for his mother, he would have asked him to drop his damn acting talk to him face to face. He was just too protective of his mother and the fact that his mother was a naive and innocent woman made him to be more cautious about the people revolving around his mother. 

"Let me take these." Mr. Evans took the bags away from his mother.

"I can manage..."

"No..no...its alright. What is the use of a man beside a woman if not help her with the bags?" He laughed, taking the bags away from her.

Cole narrowed his eyes, his palms curled into a fist. Oh! He could not bear this. How dare he flirt in front of him with his mother. This man was too smooth and his mother was oblivious about all of it.

"If you insist so much. " Ivory smiled letting go of the bags.

"Thank you. Let's get going then." Mr.Evans cheered leading the way towards his car.

Cole and Ivory followed behind. He wanted to drag his mother off from there and get into a taxi instead. He did not like this man. 

"I could carry the bags too. Why did you not allow me?" 

Cole questioned his mother in a voice only audible to his mother, walking alongside him towards the parking lot.

"You are not completely healed yet. Boy!" Ivory frowned, "You just got discharged from the hospital."

"But I m alright. I m not hurt. I could have carried the bags for you..."

"There you go. The bags are kept in the trunk. Now get inside." Mr.Evans interrupted Cole.

He held the front passenger door open hoping Ivory would get in but Cole immediately got inside without giving anyone a time of thought. When Mr.Evans just kept staring at him instead of closing the door, Cole looked back at him.

"I always like riding in the front seat." He innocently stated.

Mr.Evans nodded, " Ahh I see. It's alright." And closed the door with Cole, smirking seating inside.

He went around to open the passenger door in the back for his mother. Cole rolled his eyes at that. Once done, Mr. Evans got inside the driver's seat.

"Woman can open their side of the door too you know. They are not paralyzed. " Cole grunted out.

This made Mr.Evans turn to look at the young man with dirty blonde hair seating beside him.

"Cole...Mr.Evans was trying to be only helpful." His mother wailed from the back.

"I just wanted him to know that you can do things on your own too."

Cole muttered under his breath but loud enough for everyone to hear it. Mr. Eva just smiled at the silly tactic of the boy.

"I know that Cole. I was just trying to be polite like a man should be. " Mr. Evans voiced out in his bold tone.

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