Brittany Clayton

Professor Nevins

ENGL 202 Creative Writing

24 April 2020

Oppositional defiant disorder

The walls shook as the door slammed. She lay her head in her hands as she stopped to

calm herself down. This was the fourth time since they awoke that an uncontrolled outburst

occured. She stepped outside to avoid any further frustration and began to cry. She loved all of

her children equally, her middle child however, seemed to want to push this love away. After a

few moments passed, she dried her face and went to confront the situation.

As she walked in, the aroma of cookies filled the air. Immediately, she realized that she

had forgotten to retrieve them from the oven. In a frenzy, she swung open the oven door and

through frustration, lack of sleep or maybe as some may say “mom brain,” she acted without

thinking. As she grabbed the hot sheet from the oven, she immediately dropped the cookies she

made for the school party. Chocolate chips and peanut butter flew through the air like a plane on

a mission. Avoiding the burn she now endured, she made an attempt to save any she could.

Unable to rescue any, she accepted her defeat and began to run her hand under the cool water.

As the water ran over her scorched hands, Mrs. Turner once again allowed her mind to

escape to her happy place. She refused to allow her children to see the anger and emotion that

she felt was consuming her. She wanted to be the happy mother who never got angry. She

wanted to be the mother whose children looked up to her and to teach them how to be good

parents someday. She was aware of her shortcomings and that she was failing, yet she refused to
quit. The love she held for the five children she bore, would never fade through any

circumstance.

The sound of crashing objects brought her back to the reality she had left. As she turned

off the faucet and began to head to Jake’s room, she composed herself and refused to allow him

to see the anger that boiled just below the surface. As she began the short journey to his room,

she soon forgot about the cookies that now covered her floor. As one foot stepped into a mush of

scolding dough, the other foot became a victim in the Lego toy war. A scream of pain entered the

room as she realized what had happened. Followed by the sound of continuous opening and

slamming of the door, she began once again to boil. No amount of removing herself from the

situation would be able to hide her anger. She wasn’t able to contain it any longer.

A storm ran through her as lightning shot from her eyes. Steam hissed as it exited her ears

and her face became as hot as the oven that had burned her. Soon reaching the open door, she

placed her hand on the side to slowly open it. As soon as she did, her fingers once again took the

punishment. Slam! Her hand remained in the door as it was shut. Flying through the now open

door, she was as fast as the speed of light, and as she entered the bedroom she was overtaken by

a monster of sorts. This wasn’t her child, it was a demon who had taken over.

As she looked down, she was ready to unleash the anger that had built up from the day.

Upon seeing the face of this “demon” her heart was immediately stricken with pain. This was her

baby, whom she loved with her whole heart. The pain that she felt from the previous hour was

nothing compared to the pain she felt as she looked into the eyes of innocence. She decided that

doing this alone was no longer an option. As Jake looked at his mother, ready to be yelled at or

grounded, the shock covered his face as she got on her knees and embraced him. Refusing to let

go, she began to cry.

 She wouldn’t allow them to see this and through many failed attempts she tried. Feeling

the pain that his mother felt, Jake slowly began to let go of a portion of his anger as he tightly

held his mother back. Time dissipated as they sat there in silence. The walls in the freshly

painted room now contained marks and small holes. The newly installed flooring was dented and

scratched and glass covered the bed where he lay. After some time, neither of them knew how

long, she slowly released her embrace and looked down at the child who held much anger. He

had fallen asleep in her arms, just as he did so many years ago. His sweet face, etched in pain,

had not changed. The way he would breathe when he slept, the slight snore that would exit with

each inhale. This was still her baby boy and she would get him back.

She slowly picked up her baby who had changed so little, except in size, and struggled to

stand while avoiding waking him. Upon reaching the couch, she lay him in his favorite chair and

covered him with a blanket. Once asleep, she began to clean his room and get it prepared for

when he awoke.

That evening, after much research, she found the doctor who would change their life

forever. She made his appointment, tucked everyone in with their goodnights, and lay her head

on the stone. As she lay, tears slowly left her face as the failure of the day and her job as a

mother overcame her. She didn’t know what was to come of the following day and feared the

worst as she hoped for the best. Her mind eventually drifted into an unsettling sleep and as it did,

her alarm clock rang.

Her eyes were a summer bonfire as she rolled out of her still made bed. Her body was

weak and her mind was still asleep. As she began breakfast, the sound of footsteps filled the

room. Upon realizing their sound, she began to cry. They had awakened before her morning

brew and breakfast was still barely started. She put away the eggs and ham and decided that for
today, cereal and toast would suffice. As she went to turn, coffee in hand, she stopped abruptly

as Jake wrapped his little arms around her waist and through a tear filled cry, began his daily

apology for the previous day’s outburst.

Setting the cup down, she grabbed her baby and sat on the porch swing to watch the sun

as it awoke. They once again spoke of the reasoning behind the previous evening’s actions and

discussed other options that could have been taken. Futile as it may seem, she insisted on this

heart to heart conversation, for she knew that it wouldn't last long.

As they made their way into the strange office, Jake jumped with joy at the sight. The big

room they had entered had little walking space, as toys lined every inch including the walls. It

was a ghost town in the office as only one other child and his father attended. The smell of

cleaning supplies filled the air, as if the clean that had recently taken place, had yet to end. As

Jake began playing with the trucks on the hill, a quiet, cheerful voice rang through an open door.

“Jake” I stated, “it’s time to go.” With a scream, he announced that he wasn’t done

playing and the doctor could wait. As I attempted to calmly persuade him to join the nurse who

was patiently waiting for us, his anger once again began to boil. He threw the truck that was in

his right hand. It missed me, but it made its way to the other child sitting with his father.

Emotions began flooding me as I apologized to the young boy and his father, who seemed

unbothered by the current situation. With a smile, the nurse insisted that the toys come to meet

the doctor as well.

The patience exemplified by this young lady was infuriating to my own perceived

motherly failures, as I wished to still exhibit this trait. Jake with a grin, looked at me with

raspberries pouring from his vibrating tongue. As we exited the waiting room and entered the
patient room, we were welcomed by a young doctor who didn’t seem old enough to have

finished high school let alone be able to assist with my unruly child.

Hours passed, and as the discussion continued her patience evaporated. Exhaustion had

taken over as she longed for the now cold coffee that sat where she had laid it earlier this

morning. With a smile, the doctor asked her into the hall. We walked around the corner and into

a room the size of a small house. The aroma I had longed for all day filled the room. The

television above played the joyous sound of morning news and other parents sat quietly reading

and attending to their technology. Silently she wondered if she had just entered heaven, or if this

was simply a figure of her imagination.

The doctor then explained that she needed to speak with Jake alone and rule out some

common misdiagnosis. She quietly introduced the room and explained that this was time to be

taken advantage of and that the young mother should enjoy some peace and quiet. With silence

Mrs. Jones sat down with the steaming hot cup of coffee and began to enjoy a few moments to

herself. Time alone was not afforded often, and on this day, she was much obliged.

An hour passed, as a pot of this heaven made its way through her petite body. A new

person arose in this short time as she began to wonder if that young doctor had survived the

wrath of her difficult child. As she stood, the doctor entered with a smile. “You look like a new

person” the doctor stated with a smile. A new person she was.

As the next hour passed, the doctor explained what her observations of Jake had shown.

Jake had a condition that is rarely understood, diagnosed or even known. He had a condition

called Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or ODD for short. She then explained that normal

punishments along with yelling or direct confrontation would not work when dealing with a child
who has this condition. A sigh of relief exited Mrs. Jones’ body as the tension that had long built

up was beginning to be released. She had not failed as a mother, she was just under informed of

the situation she was encountering.