Sleepless

“Don’t take it, Mama, seriously. This isn’t that bad.”

“I don’t take it often Jane, relax.”

“Just take a deep breath. Rest your head on your pillow. And pray.”

“No prayer will make this disappointment go away.”

“… Seriously, I know what Adam has been doing is messed up, but think of it this way – at least he did well on the exam today.”

“And that is an excuse to come home stoned on God knows what.”

“It’s just a little weed, Mama.”

“He promised he wouldn’t smoke it anymore. But he still does. Right when I think it’s getting better.”

“Just stop thinking about it. Go to bed.”

“I will. After you give me back the pills.”

“Don’t… I won’t.”

“How do you expect me to fall asleep when I’m like this. When he’s left me like this.”

“You’re so dramatic, Mama… stop crying… stop it.”

“…”

“There’s nothing a little prayer won’t fix.”

“Don’t tell me to pray. Don’t repeat my own advice to me. I’m the mother. I’m your mother and his mother and look how he turned out and look how you turned out. All my hard work, my time, my patience, my efforts. Gone.”

“Seriously, I’m not that great.”

“… How do I make him stop Jane?”

“What?”

“Hasheesh.”

“Hasheesh. That makes it sound like an addiction. He’s not addicted. You can’t be addicted. He’s just young. He has no self-control. He doesn’t know when to stop.”

“Do you hear yourself?”

“He doesn’t know he’ll be okay without it and that he’s better without it. His head is clearer without it. You just…we just need to make him realize that he shouldn’t depend on it.”

“He’s breaking my heart, you know that?”

“I know, Mama.”

“Just give me those pills, I need to get some sleep.”

“I won’t.”

“Jane.”

“You’re such a hypocrite mom.”

“… Watch your mouth.”

“You shouldn’t be dependent on them, Mama. It’s not healthy.”

“Tonight...then I’ll stop. I swear.”

“Just go rest your head on your pillow, and pray to Allah. You shouldn’t depend on these pills, Mama.”