Danger! War In Progress

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

On this day, when the morning air was once again reeking with the burning haze, a war was officially declared.

Armed with teeth-gritting determination and pure head-burying diligence, I led the three kids into warfare with their books. Pens and pencils were their weapons. I, on the other hand, wielded a pen and fully-loaded missiles and cannons.

As I slashed the papers mercilessly with my pens, the kids fought in a leisure pace. Impatience and rage built within me as the progress began to slow down to a stop but the rate of the rations’ consumption continued to accelerate. Missiles were fired and cannons rang in the air to reverse the situation.

By evening, the kids and their commander were reasonably exhausted. Debris of the war lay scattered on the dining table and kitchen floor in the form of eraser bits, broken leads and crushed paper balls. The results weren’t as satisfactory as I had expected though. However, more often than not, I had set the expectations too high, so I just had to accept the fact that the kids had put in their efforts.

Why do examinations seem to torment me more than then the kids?

Anguish.