==JAPAN: KM== [Crisis]

I can never forget an event that happened when I was in the second year of junior high school. I was dissatisfied with my parents for some reason at that time. Especially when I was told something about what I did, I strongly felt so. I took a defiant attitude toward them. I didn't like any of the things they told me. In addition, the lessons of school were painful for me because I didn't understand the contents of them and on account of this, the teachers treated me as a poor student. Daily life was not enjoyable to me, so I looked for a mental stimulus.
In those days, "Shoplifting" was in fashion among my friends. When they spoke about it, I took a great interest in it, and I decided to shoplift. After school, I dropped in at a bookstore near the school to shoplift, and I walked around. In those days, I was so absorbed in reading "Touch", which is a comic book, so I wanted to get the latest edition. I took a bag with me to use for shoplifting. Opening it, I looked around, and then put the comic into it. Just then, I heard a loud voice, "Hey you!" I was surprised by the voice, and made a dash for an entrance of the store. But I was caught by the store clerk before I reached the door. I could not escape from him any longer, because I was seized by the arm firmly. I apologized to him many times, but he never forgave me. He took me to a small room and made me write my phone number and address on a sheet of paper. I could feel myself being driven into the depths of despair.
An hour later, my mother came along with a puzzled look. As soon as she entered the room, she slapped me on the cheek and bowed down to the salesman many times. I was in shock and my mind went totally blank for a while, because I was hit by my mother for the first time in my life. But, strangely, I didn't feel any pain at all. When I came to myself suddenly, I saw her look hard at me with tears. I was embarrassed and couldn't look her straight in the face.
On my way home, she kept absolute silence. I couldn't stand the situation, so I went to bed in my room as soon as we reached home. But I couldn't sleep easily. About midnight, I woke up because of a noise. It was my mother's sobbing. I felt so sad for her, and vowed that I would never make her feel that way again. After all, I could hardly sleep all night.
The next day, I was afraid of seeing my parents, so I hesitated about getting out of bed. In the end, I stayed in it until noon. By afternoon, I was very hungry, so I went to the kitchen to look for something to eat. There was mother, standing by the sink. "Good morning," she said, as usual. "Good morning," I said modestly. After that, she attended to me normally. But, if I were her, I could never have done so. Unconsciously, tears came into my eyes then, and I couldn't say a word. "Cheer up!" she said and tapped me on the shoulder. Then, my eyes filled with tears and a big tear fell down my cheek. And I wiped my tears away many times, but I could not hold them back. After that, my parents didn't talk to me about my shoplifting at all. I realized they were trying to be careful not to hurt my feelings. But on the contrary, their attitude was unbearably painful to me. I wanted them to scold me.
After the event, I didn't clash with my parents much at all. I got to have many opportunities to talk with them about various things, for example, about my love or relations with my friends. As time passed, the vague dissatisfaction I had had toward them disappeared. Now, when I think about those days, I feel that I was then at a rebellious age. But, even so, I am keenly sorry to have troubled my parents. But I think that a close relationship between them and me might not have existed without this event. "After a storm comes a calm".

-- COMMENT -- The number of children is decreasing year after year. The time that a family spends together has become less. Today a person who has many chances to talk with his or her parents is happy. I think nothing can break the relation of a family, but the family that experiences some big events will make their connection stronger. I think it is good that the point of this essay is expressed in the proverb, "After a storm comes a calm".

Megumi Yatera