When You're Gone (Colette) novel Chapter 16

It was Sunday, and James was home from the nearby college he attended.

He grew up in a poor household. His parents fell sick from overworking and lost their ability to work when he was in high school.

Although his family had no savings, he worked hard to win scholarships and stipends throughout his studies. He decided to attend the best college in the city to stay close to his parents. The proximity allowed him to visit them over the weekends.

James checked the time. It was 4:00 pm. When he got down from the attic, he saw his parents stuffing some fruits into his backpack. They hurried up when they heard his footsteps.

James ran over and stopped them. He took out the fruits from his backpack with a helpless expression. "Dad, Mom, I brought home the fruits for you. I'm on scholarship, and I can have these fruits on campus anytime I want. You need to take care of your health. Please don't save everything for me."

His dad, Will Vanderbilt, stuffed the fruits back into the backpack and shook his head in protest. "We know everything. Even with the sponsorship, you only get a set portion of fruit every time. Giving it to us means you won't have any to eat. Fruits are expensive. You need to take care of yourself; you're still a student who has to take care of his parents!"

"Dad, stop arguing. If you keep up this tug-o-war, I'll just drop the stuff at home the next time! I won't bother to spend time with you!" James shoved the fruits into his parents' hands and grabbed his backpack, pretending that he would storm out in anger.

That finally forced his parents to accept the fruits.

When it was time to say goodbye, the couple reluctantly saw their son to the door. They hoped he would visit often, but at the same time, they did not want to put him through the trouble.

As the only child, James received all the love and attention from Will and his wife, Maureen Green. Will and Maureen felt guilty for burdening James.

But James was a thoughtful child. Apart from studying diligently, he started working part-time in high school. He dismissed their guilt by saying, "Dad, Mom, how can you describe yourself as a burden to me, after all you've done to raise a fine young man? You're the best parents. You should happily accept what I do for you."