The Session - Synopsis

Thank you for your willingness to read my book, “The Session.” I wrote it from the transcripts that Mrs. Miller made from her recordings of my sessions with the group. I can’t tell you my name because I am in witness protection, but back then my name was Quinn. As best I can, from the transcripts, I have tried to relate the events that drove me, at the age of 14, to murder my dad.
I guess it all began when I was 12. Maybe it began long before, I just don’t know. I never remember my mom and dad not drinking or not fighting. But I do remember, in between it, they were good parents, and I loved them. We weren’t rich, more like poor, but we didn’t want for much my sister Sarah and me; at least not until my 12th year. That was the year of all the big changes. You see that was the year my mom lost her job as a waitress at the dinner, not that she made all the much money, but it was important. Dad’s hours at the factory were cut back to 20 a week and that meant he didn’t have benefits anymore, so when I got sick with diabetes we couldn’t afford the bills and had to go on Medicaid. But mom and dad tried and they even had a party for me when I got out of the hospital. It was great. Well great for that night. Mom and dad had a huge drunken fight, so bad that mom was taken away to the hospital and committed to rehab. Dad stayed away for a week. When he came back he was new dad, and when mom came back all dried out he tried so hard to make things right. On mom’s birthday he took her out and I thought it was going to work out. It didn’t and that was when dad came into my bedroom. Old dad loved me and new dad was even better. Well dad moved out and during the divorce, I don’t know why, but mom wouldn’t let us see him and I really missed him.
Well anyway after like 2 months dad was allowed to take Sarah and me out for the weekend. Dad was so mad at me because one look and he could see I wasn’t taking care of my diabetes and it was decided that I would live with dad. I was very happy. The house he rented was sort of a dump but not in a bad neighborhood. And dad took me to buy stuff for my room. He had a great new job with a very old friend he met, Mr. Stefano. Dad was giving me a good allowance for the first time ever and I could take my girlfriend, Lisa, nice places. I found out Mr. Stefano was like a mobster. It was really good between dad and me. He really loved me, and his new job was so way cool. He even got me a job working at one of Mr. Stefano’s places.
But working for the mob has its disadvantages, and when Mr. Stefano learned that his daughter Maria liked me, he made my dad tell me that I had to dump my girlfriend Lisa, and go with Maria. I wasn’t too happy, but I did it because dad was doing so many nice things for me. And Maria turned out to be fine. Sometimes she could be weird but I had fun with her and I liked being with her.
Although things were going well for dad and me, things weren’t so good for mom. Even though dad gave her money, she was living poorly and like had boyfriend after boyfriend until one beat her up and almost killed me because I slashed his tires after seeing him hit mom. And then Sarah came to live with dad and me because mom almost died from an overdose and Mr. Stefano helped dad get her into a good rehab.
That’s when I began to think that dad didn’t love me much anymore because he didn’t come to my room much anymore, and wouldn’t let me go to his. That’s when I found out he loved Sarah more. And that’s when I found out that Sarah didn’t like what he was doing, and that was when I found out it wasn’t the way a dad should love his children. And that’s when I should have found out what was the right thing to do, but instead I didn’t. Instead I murdered my dad.
The judge gave me 20 to 40 years in prison. He said that even if my school counselors and teachers didn’t know I needed help, that I was old enough to know that I needed help, and I should have gotten help.
I’m 16 years old now and I have been adopted by a wonderful family and I have a new name. A name I am going to make them proud that they gave me. That’s my story.

The Session – Synopsis © 2005 by Steven Lobel