At school, Raymond began to care deeply about his image. The other children started to tease him, calling him names like "one-eyed boy" whenever they noticed his mother's appearance. He wished they would stop, but no matter how hard he tried to act like he didn't care, it stung. The worst moments came when Mickelly would show up at school to check on him. Her lone eye, her weathered face—Raymond couldn't bear it.
One day, Mickelly came to school unexpectedly, bringing him a lunch. Raymond hid behind a corner, hoping no one would see. But it was too late. The children laughed as they spotted her, and one of them shouted, "Look, it's the one-eyed woman's son!"
Raymond felt his stomach twist. As Mickelly walked away, oblivious to the pain she had caused, Raymond's heart hardened. "I wish she would just go away," he thought bitterly.
Things came to a head when Mickelly visited the school once again. This time, Raymond had no warning. He was sitting in class when the door opened, and there she was, standing in the doorway with a sad smile on her face. The room fell silent. Raymond could feel all the eyes on him.
One of the boys, laughing cruelly, shouted, "Your mom's got one eye! What's wrong with her? Is she a freak?"
Raymond's face burned with shame, and in that moment, he snapped. He stood up and shouted, "I don't know her! She's not my mother!" The words felt like poison as they left his mouth.
Mickelly's face fell, her eyes wide with shock. She didn't say anything, just turned and walked out of the classroom, leaving behind a quiet, sorrowful silence. Raymond could feel the weight of what he had done, but it didn't stop him from feeling relief. She was gone. He wouldn't have to deal with her shame anymore.