Fearing The Unknown

They enter through the door together. She makes her way into the crowded car. Only then does she look over her shoulder to realize he has planted himself near the first pole. A flash of betrayal obscures her face. He is immovable. Feigning intention she backtracks to him, grasps the hanging strap above her head and roots herself. Compliant only on her terms. He reeks of defiance. In no way will he accommodate her. This is where he stands, immutable, unyielding. As always, it is up to her to bend and sway, fill the spaces between, round off his sharp edges, modify at a moment's notice. She is liquid, he is stone. She flows and surrounds, seeps into every pore and crevice, enveloping his implacable self with her tidal substance. Ebb and flow, seeking balance, equilibrium. The struggle is monumental yet she can not give way. The months turn to years. He is resolute in his choices, convicted. This battle will rage on for days to come, there is no means of extrication short of abandonment which is unthinkable. They have nowhere to go, only each other to depend upon. In four short years he has evolved into a walking, talking, obstinate, aggressive little boy. She fears the worst, avoids integrating him with other children. Her child, her son, is not well. She fears she brought this on herself.  He stares through her, silently seething as he repeatedly taps his sneaker on the pole. She longs for a change in his nature, a shift in his soul, for another part of his character to emerge, bloom. He holds fast, counting the stops aloud one by one, growing in volume, challenging everyone around him. The train carries on, oblivious to the battle.