I Might Have Swung A Little Hard...

"It'll go easier on you if you come clean." The father looked down on his son, standing trembling against the wall.
"I didn't mean to Dad. It just kind of..."
"Kind of what, Josh?"
'Happened."
"You're lucky I'm not your mother." His father scolded, staring down at his son hard. This only made the boy tremble more. "You'd be in a lot more trouble if she were the one that caught you."
"I'm sorry Dad." The boy whispered.
"You stay here. Before you wreck anything else." Josh's father made to walk away, before turning back. "Right. There."

Josh stood frozen where he was while his father went out into the backyard. He stood in the doorway, surveying the yard. Finally, he shook his head. Along the cement porch were broken fragments of the outdoor lounge swing that he'd bought just three weeks ago as a birthday present for his wife. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he spotted the precious fairy garden statue that had once belonged to his wife's grandmother. At least Josh had managed to save that. That was something.

It was a few minutes before Josh's father returned. To Josh, he seemed even angrier than before.
"The only good I can see is that" his father stood glaring at Josh as he counted a list on his fingers.
"1, you didn't hurt yourself or kill yourself, and 2, you didn't break your mother's heirloom fairy statue."

"What's happened here?" In came Josh's mother, all guns blazing. Josh was still frozen against the wall as his mother's raging eyes found him.
"It's like a tornado hit our backyard! Except for the fact that tornadoes do not come here." His mother turned to her husband. "Garry, would you mind going and cleaning up out back? I'll handle this."
"Sure." Was all Josh's father said before he left his wife and Josh alone in the living room.
"So, Joshua, can you possibly shed some light on the subject?"
Josh was shaking and struggling not to laugh at the same time. If it had been a cartoon, his mother would have steam coming from her ears and her face would be the same shade of red as a tomato.

"Joshua!"
"Yes Mum?" Josh shrunk down a few centimetres. Based solely on his mother's tome, he was in trouble now.
"Can you tell me what happened out there."
"Well, I might have swung the swing a little hard."
"Might have? A little? Joshua, something tells me your father wouldn't be so stupid as to do such a thing. What, exactly, made you think that type of behavior was a good idea, let alone acceptable?" His mother stood in front of him, her arms folded across her chest and her foot tapping against the ground as she waited for her son to talk.
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking really."
"At least you recognize that. You are lucky you didn't hurt yourself! We could have been driving to the hospital right now!"
"Yes Mum," Josh said sincerely. "Could have been."
"Up to your room. No TV tonight, and you're going to bed early. Homework, dinner, shower, bed. Understand?"
Josh nodded and made for the stairs, relieved somewhat.
"Oh, and Joshua?"
Josh tensed up and turned to face his mother.
"The cost of the swing will come out of your pocket money. You broke it, therefore, you will be buying me a new one."